No Mercy
by Xtremeroswellian
Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again. Final two chapters up as of 5/18/02!!
1. Default Chapter

Title: No Mercy (1/?)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. 

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Author's Note: A couple of things. First of all, I have no idea where they're headed with a couple of storylines that "Childhood Memories" and "Act Brave" left us with, and I've read no future spoilers so this is only my interpretation of what I think could happen. Also, I did not want to write this fic. The subject matter is not one of my most favorite topics. However, I've learned that refusing my Muse can result in months worth of writer's block. So, where She goes, I follow. Proceed at your own risk. 

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

* * *

No Mercy (Part One)

"I can't believe you took the blame for him!" 

"I had to." Faith Yokas tried to concentrate on spreading peanut butter on her son's sandwich for his sack lunch. 

"Had to?" Fred repeated, staring at her. "Explain the concept of 'had to!'" 

"It was either that or he would have lost his job." 

"And that would be bad why?" 

She narrowed her eyes. "I know that Bosco isn't your favorite person in the world, but he's a good cop." 

"Right. Which is why he called a rape victim a hooker." 

She set down the knife she was using and turned to face him. "He made a mistake, but it wasn't just his mistake. We both made it." Faith took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. "Look, you don't understand what it is to be a cop." 

"That's right, I don't. I'm just a delivery guy, right?" he remarked bitterly. "So why don't you explain it to me." 

"We take care of our own," she answered. 

"Oh, I forgot. You can take care of Maurice Boscorelli and everyone else in this city, but when it comes to your own family, you can't spare us more than ten minutes a day." Fred glared at her. 

"What the hell is this about, anyway? Are you mad at me because I took the blame for a guy you hate or because I haven't quit my job to stay home and be the perfect little trophy wife?" 

"You can be such a bitch, you know that?" 

"Dad?" 

Faith and Fred both turned to see Emily standing a few feet away, nervously toying with the straps on her backpack. 

"What is it, Em?" Fred asked. 

"We're gonna be late for school." 

He nodded. "You go get Charlie and help him with his boots and coat. I'll be there in a minute." 

She disappeared down the hallway. 

For a moment they were both silent. Then, "It was never about you being a trophy wife. It was about you being a wife and mother, period. I'm surprised the kids recognize you no more than you're ever here. I'm tired of taking a backseat to everyone and everything else in your life, Faith. I'm tired of doing all the work around here and never getting any time for the two of us." 

"Yeah, well anytime I have off you seem to be pretty busy with other things like winning trucks and watching football on television. Don't make this out to be like it's all my fault," she said angrily. 

Fred shook his head. "Whatever. If we're going to toss around sins of the past, let's talk about how you went and killed our baby and then lied to me about it!" 

The color drained from Faith's face. "Fred--" 

"Forget it, Faith. The kids and I won't be here when you get home today." 

"What?" She stared at him.

"I'm going to go stay at my parents' for awhile. I'm taking the kids with me," he informed her. 

"You can't do that!" 

"The hell I can't." 

"Fred, you can't take my kids from me!" 

"They're my kids, too. And they sure as hell can't stay here by themselves. You're never here." At that moment, Emily returned, holding her younger brother's hand. "Let's get you guys to school," Fred said, his voice full of fake cheer. 

Emily and Charlie headed for the door. 

Faith reached out and caught her husband's arm. "Fred, don't do this. Please," she said as fear's icy tendrils wrapped themselves around her. 

He stared at her for a moment, then pulled free of her grasp and left without saying another word.

* * *

"Sully and Davis. You two are mobile patrol sector 10. Boscorelli and Yokas, mobile patrol, sector 8," the Captain informed them after role call. "And everyone be prepared to handle sexual assault calls. We were contacted by the guys at the 15th precinct. They've had three rapes in the past week. After comparing notes, we've determined that it's most likely the same guy we've been looking for. Keep your eyes and ears open. That's it." 

The officers of the 55th precinct stood up and started to prepare for their shifts.

"A serial rapist. That's great," Officer John Sullivan muttered. 

"We don't have anything to go on. No physical description, no unusual speech impediments or accent. We don't even know if the guy's white or black," Officer Ty David said with a furrowed brow.

"He'll slip up. We'll catch him," Bosco said. "You guys have fun on hooker patrol." He turned to see his partner still sitting down. "Yokas, let's go." 

Faith rose to her feet, walked right past him, and out the door without a word. 

"What's wrong with her?" Sully asked, concerned. 

Bosco shrugged. "Probably just her time of the month." 

* * *

It was quiet. Too quiet. And if there was one thing Maurice Boscorelli hated, it was total silence. Because in total silence, it was all too easy to get lost in your own thoughts. And his thoughts tended to backtrack into bad memories. 

He glanced over at Faith, who had barely spoken to him during their entire shift. She was staring straight ahead of her, out the window. "You wanna get something to eat?" He wasn't even hungry, he just wanted to do something, anything, to fill the silence. 

She didn't respond. 

Bosco waved a hand in front of her face. "Earth to Officer Yokas. Are you in there?" 

Faith blinked, then turned her head to look at him. "What?" 

"I said are you hungry?" 

"Oh. No." 

He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. "Wanna get some coffee or something?" 

"Yeah. I could use some caffeine." 

"Great." Bosco climbed out of the car and she did the same. He didn't waste any time getting to the door of the convenience store with Faith right behind him.

He paused in the doorway. The woman at the cash register remained motionless, eyes wide with fear and locked on two figures arguing in the back of the store. 

"Boz..." Faith uttered, voice audible only to him. 

He nodded imperceptibly and drew his gun from its holster. Bosco moved forward quietly, keeping low as he manuevered behind an aisle of candy and made his way towards the back. He turned to see Faith crouched at the front of the aisle, waiting for him to get into position. 

"I'm just sayin', we're already here. We may as well grab a case to go!" 

"And I'm tellin' you it'll slow us down!" 

He waited, glanced at Faith who nodded at him, before counting silently to three. Bosco rose slowly to his full height and pointed his gun at one of the robbers. "Put the guns and bag down slowly and put your hands in the air," he commanded. 

The two robbers--one white, one black--both turned to look at him in surprise. "Aw, shit!" They both did as he said. 

"Now move your hands to the back of your head and interlock your fingers," he instructed. 

"This is all your fault," the white guy snapped. 

"My fault? You're the one standing here arguing about beer. We could have gotten away already!" 

"Boys, boys. There's plenty of blame to go around. Stupidity abounds." Bosco rolled his eyes at their confused looks. "Didn't you see us sittin' right out front in the patrol car?" he asked, nodding his head towards the glass window at the clearly visible car.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement. A third robber emerged from the back, carrying another sack of money and a pistol. The guy's eyes widened and he immediately aimed his gun at Faith. 

"Faith, down!" Bosco shouted to his unsuspecting partner. She dropped to the ground without question. He swung his gun around and fired it without hesitation. 

The bullet slammed into the guy's left shoulder and sent him flying backwards onto the tile floor. His gun clattered to the ground. 

Bosco turned his attention back to the other two idiots. He took the handcuffs off his belt. "You're under arrest for attempted armed robbery. You have the right to remain silent..." 

"This is 55-David to Central. We need an ambulance on fourth street at the Huck's convenience sotre," Faith said over her radio as she collected the downed robber's gun. 

"He fuckin' shot me!" the guy said, outraged as he held his right hand over the wound. 

"Boy, nothing gets by you," she remarked sarcastically. 

"10-4, 55-David. Bus is on its way." 

Faith stood up and walked over to Bosco and used her handcuffs to cuff the other robber. 

"Wanna escort Larry and Moe here out to the car?" Bosco asked. 

She shrugged. "Sure." 

"Thank you so much," the girl behind the counter said to them gratefully. 

"All in a day's work," Bosco told her with a slight smile on his face. 

* * *

"Fire's out!" Jimmy Dohrety shouted. "It was a kitchen fire. No casualties. Not even an injury." 

"Good. Let's get out of here. I'm starving," Carlos complained to Alex Taylor, who rolled her eyes. 

"What's new?" she muttered. She glanced across the small crowd gathered outside the apartment building and saw Officer Ty Davis looking back at her. 

"Come on. We're not needed here," Carlos said.

"In a minute," she replied, pushing herself away from the ambulance. She carefully made her way through the crowd. 

"Hey," Ty said, smiling at her. 

"Hey." 

"What time do you get off work tonight?" 

"Actually, Carlos and I are running a double." 

He nodded. "Us, too," he said, nodding towards Sully. "So...do you wanna meet up afterwords? Get something to eat and come over to my place?" 

Alex nodded. "Sounds good." She turned to go, but he stopped her with a gentle hold on her arm. 

"Do me a favor and be extra careful out there, all right?" he said, a worried tone to his voice. 

She frowned. "Sure. Is everything okay?" 

Ty pulled her away from the crowd a bit. "There's a serial rapist on the streets. We don't have any idea who the guy is or where he'll show up next. The victims appear to be random." He looked down for a moment before meeting her eyes again. "I just...don't want anything to happen to you." 

She nodded, touched by his concern. "I'll be careful," she promised him.

"Yo, Taylor! Move it!" Carlos shouted. 

Alex rolled her eyes. "I gotta go or I'll have to listen to him whine all night." 

"Like he isn't going to anyway?" 

She grinned. "See you later." 

He nodded. "All right." 

Alex turned and walked towards Carlos. "I'm coming. Don't get your panties in a twist." 

* * *

Sully glanced sideways at his partner as he drove their patrol car back to their station. "So what's with you and Taylor?" 

"What do you mean?" 

He raised his eyebrows. "I mean you two have been hanging out a lot." 

"She's fun to hang out with," Davis replied nonchalantly. 

"And just how much time have you been spending with her?" 

"All right, all right. We're together." 

Sully nodded his approval. "She seems like a nice girl." 

After a moment of silence, Davis said quietly. "I like her. A lot." 

"So it's serious?" 

Davis looked over at him. "Yeah. It is." 

Sully simply smiled. 

* * *

"You guys heard the latest?" Kim Zambrino asked as she sat down at the table in the fire-station. 

"What's that?" Alex asked as she sat down at the end of the table and yawned. 

"There's a serial rapist on the loose." 

Jimmy looked up from where he was cooking grilled cheese sandwiches. "Where'd you hear that from?" 

"Faith and Bosco." Kim shuddered. "I've already made plans for Joey and me to stay over at Mom's for awhile." She picked up the grilled cheese sandwich in front of her and took a bite.

Jimmy nodded, looking relieved. Then his gaze traveled to Alex. 

She realized that everyone was staring at her. "Oh. I'm going over to Davis' to help him protect Carlos." 

Everyone snickered except for Carlos, who scowled at her. "Very funny. And why are you wasting your time with Davis, anyway? He's not into chicks." 

Kim choked on the sip of cola she had taken. "What?" 

"Yeah, Sargeant Christopher told me," Carlos said, leaning back in his chair with a matter-of-fact look on his face. 

Jimmy ducked his head to hide his grin. Kim glanced at Alex, who was trying to suppress her own smile. 

Doc just patted Carlos on the shoulder as he walked by. 

"What?" he asked, confused. 

"Nothing," Alex replied. She and Kim exchanged a smile and Alex took a drink of her diet soda. 

"What?" Carlos demanded again.

* * *

Bosco changed out of his uniform and into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt. "Hey, Yokas! You need a ride home?" 

She poked her head around the corner. "Nah." She disappeared behind the lockers again. 

"Fred picking you up?" 

"No. I'm gonna walk." 

He frowned, a funny feeling creeping into his stomach. "You sure that's a good idea?" 

She stepped into view, having finished changing into her street clothes. She pulled her coat back and revealed her weapon holstered on her belt. "I'll be fine. I just need some air." 

He nodded. "All right, so...I'll see you tomorrow then." 

"Yeah." She headed towards the door. 

"Faith?" 

She turned to look at him. "Yeah?" 

"Is everything okay?" Bosco studied her face, noted how tired she looked. He didn't feel right letting her walk home alone that late at night. 

"Yeah, everything's fine, Boz." 

He wasn't convinced, but he knew better than to try and argue with her about it. "All right." 

"Good night." 

"'Night," Bosco answered. He watched her leave the locker room, a frown on his face. Then he closed his locker, shrugged into his jacket and headed home. 

* * *

By the time Faith made it to her apartment building, she was cold and exhausted. She practically had to drag herself up the staircase. She paused outside her door and pulled her keys out of her coat pocket, slid the key into door and turned it. Then she stepped inside and flipped on the light, shutting and locking the door behind her. 

She took off her coat and hung it up on the coat rack, then removed her gun and holster from her belt. She opened the closet door and set them up on the top shelf where her kids couldn't reach them. 

Faith walked down the hallway and peered into Emily's room. Her daughter's bed was made neatly just as it had been before she'd gone to school. 

Tears sprung to her eyes and she stifled a sob as she stepped into the room and sank down onto the bed. She laid down and pressed her face into the pillow, curling into fetal position. He'd really gone through with it. Fred had left and had taken her kids with him. 

And now she was completely alone. 

She gave up trying not to cry and sobbed into her daughter's pillow until she fell asleep.

* * *

Faith woke up from a restless, dreamless sleep and was startled to realize she was in Emily's bed. She squinted at the digital clock on her daughter's bedside table. 2:11 a.m. 

She forced herself into sitting position, groaning as her muscles ached from the awkward position she'd fallen asleep in. She stood up slowly and left the room. She walked down the hall and into the kitchen, feeling drowsy and worn out, but craving herbal tea. She filled the teapot with water and turned on the stove. She stood there staring down at the glass stovetop, waiting for the water to boil. 

She heard a noise from the living room. "Fred?" she called hopefully.

When she receieved no response, she sighed and figured it had just been wishful thinking. She reached up and removed a coffee cup from the cabinet above the sink. 

She heard the noise again and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She froze, listening. There was only silence. 

Faith could hear the sound of her own heart's rapid beating. She searched her memory, trying to remember exactly where she'd left her gun. Living room closet, she thought, grimacing. 

She crept quietly towards the living room, relieved to see the lamp was still on. There was no one there. She released the breath she'd been holding, but decided to get her gun out of the closet anyway. She turned the handle and opened the door. She reached in and removed her holster and gun from the top shelf. 

The attack came from behind. 

Faith cried out as she was shoved up against the wall and the holster slipped from her hand and dropped to the floor with a loud thud. 

She rammed the attacker with her elbow, then turned sharply and punched him in the side of the head. A dark ski mask covered his face. 

He launched himself at her, knocking her back onto the floor. She rolled away quickly and attempted to reach her gun. 

He was on his feet just as her fingertips brushed the steel handle and he kicked her in the side. 

Faith moaned from the sudden pain in her ribs and she scrambled to her feet. He was blocking her only path to the gun. A high-pitched shriek from the kitchen startled both of them, but she recovered first. 

She shoved him backwards into the front door and then reached for her gun again. She had no sooner picked it up when he siezed her roughly by her shoulders and threw her onto the wooden coffee table with such force that it collapsed. The landing knocked the air out of her lungs and she struggled to breathe. 

He loomed over her like a giant; his only visible feature was his dark green eyes glaring down at her. He reached down and pulled her to her feet, then slammed her into the wall. 

Faith slid down to the floor, too dazed to stand. He approached again, this time grabbing her by her neck and hauling her to her feet. She made a feeble attempt to kick him in the groin, but he tightened his grip on her neck and she had to focus her attention on trying to get him to let go before he strangled her. He threw her onto the floor amidst the remnants of the broken table. 

She winced in pain and moved her hand to her head. When she removed it, she saw it was covered in blood. Her attacker sat on top of her, pinning her down with his weight. 

Tears sprung to her eyes. Think, Faith. You're a cop. Think, she told herself. "You don't want to do this!" 

"Oh, yes, I do. And you want me to. You know you do." 

Her mind flashed to what Davis had said earlier. "We don't have anything to go on. No physical description, no unusual speech impediments or accent. We don't even know if the guy's white or black."

Faith reached up and yanked his mask off before he had a chance to stop her. 

"You'll pay for that, bitch!" he snarled. He reached over beside her and grabbed her gun out of its holster. He raised it up and then slammed it into the side of her head. 

Her last thought was that she hoped Emily and Charlie weren't the ones to find her. Then everything grew dark.

End Part 1

I'll try my best to get the next part out by Friday. -X_tremeroswellian


	2. 

Title: No Mercy (2/?)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. 

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Author's Note: I'm not an expertise in the medical or legal fields. What knowledge I do have comes from: Lights and Sirens: A Writer's Guide to Emergency Rescue Professions by James and Lois Cowan, Police Procedure: A Writer's Guide to the Police and How They Work by Russell Bintliff, and years of watching E.R. and Third Watch. However, if everything isn't accurate, please don't flame me. 

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

* * *

No Mercy (Part Two)

"You're wrong," David said, shaking his head. 

"No, I'm not," Sully said stubbornly.

"Yes, you are." 

"Look, Davis, I'm older and wiser." 

"Well, you got the first part right." 

Sully gave him a look.

"I'm telling you, the third movie was better than the first two. Ask anyone." 

"No, no, no. The t-rex was the most terrifying dinosaur to walk the earth. If you try to out-do the t-rex, it's just stupid. Plus they made the velociraptors too human. It didn't make any sense." 

"Okay, you have me there. But that scene with the pterodactyls was awesome. And it leaves things wide open for a fourth one. Sheer brilliance." 

"There were pterodactyls in Jurassic Park." 

"No, there weren't. Not in the first one." 

"There were in the book." 

"You read the book?" Davis turned his head to look at Sully.

"I like Michael Crichton," he replied with a shrug. 

"This is Central to 55-Charlie. Come in 55-Charlie," the dispatcher said over the radio.

"This is 55-Charlie," Sully responded. 

"55-Charlie, there's been a possible domestic dispute at 2084 West Oakland, apartment B212." 

"We're on it," he answered. 

"10-4, 55-Charlie." 

Sully started the car and glanced at the clock. It was 3:27 a.m. "Only three-and-a-half more hours." 

* * *

"Let's take the elevator," Carlos said, yawning as he pushed the up button.

"Do you know how long that thing probably takes? It's only one flight of stairs," Alex said in exasperation. 

"So? We need to wait for the police anyway." 

She stared at him. 

"What? You think I'm walking into the middle of some domestic dispute without police protection? Not likely." 

"Whatever." Alex turned and walked up the stairway. Everything was silent. She glanced up and down the dimly-lit hallway, then started to her left, clutching the jumper kit in her hand. She read the apartment numbers untili she came to B212. Alex looked back at the elevator, but realized that Carlos really wasn't coming up. 

She turned away, disgusted, and started to knock on the door when she caught sight of the keys dangling from the lock. She hesitated for a moment, then decided to knock anyway. 

When no one answered, her stomach tightened. She reached for the door handle just as the elevator dinged. 

Carlos joined her a moment later. "What are you doing?" he demanded as she started to reach for the door handle again. 

"Someone in there may need help." 

"Yeah, us, when we walk inside someone's apartment uninvited when they're in the middle of a fight!" 

Alex paused and leaned closer to the door. "I don't hear any fighting." 

"Maybe they made up." 

She shook her head and strained to listen. "Do you hear that?" 

"What?" he asked, annoyed. 

"That whistling," she said with a frown. 

"I don't hear anything." 

"I've got a really bad feeling about this," she said quietly, curling her hand around the door knob. 

"All the more reason to wait for the cops." 

Alex's gaze locked on the keys dangling from the lock. "Do whatever you want. I'm going in." 

Carlos folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall. "Fine." 

She twisted the handle. The moment she opened the door, the whistling got louder. She winced as the high-pitch sound stung her ears. She frowned deeper and stepped inside. "Hello? I'm an E.M.T. Does anyone need help?" she called. 

When no one answered, she swallowed hard and moved further inside. Everything was dark. Alex fumbled around, running her hand along the wall in search of a light switch. 

She finally found one and flipped it up. Light flooded the room and she stared at the scene before her. The room was completely trashed and a woman was lying in the middle of the floor amidst the remains of what Alex thought might have been a wooden table. Her clothes were torn, and though her face was turned away, Alex could see a huge bruise on the left side of the woman's head. 

She didn't hesitate before rushing to the woman's side and kneeling down next to her. As soon as she did, her eyes widened. "Oh, my God. Carlos!" She immediately felt for a pulse, feeling only slightly relieved when she found one. She looked over her shoulder to see Carlos lingering in the doorway. "Get in here!" 

"Are you sure it's safe?" he asked, his eyes darting around the apartment.

"Yes," Alex lied, turning her attention back to Faith. She quickly removed a stethescope from the jumper kit. "It's Faith Yokas." 

"Bosco's partner?" Carlos asked, looking shocked. 

"Yeah. Go check the rest of the apartment," she commanded, listening to Faith's lungs. 

"I thought you said it was safe!" 

"Dammit, she's married and has kids! Make sure they're not back there somewhere!" Alex snapped. 

Carlos reluctantly disappeared down the hallway, returning moments later. "No one's back there." 

"Her airway's clear. B.P.'s 100 over 68." Alex removed a gauze pad from her bag. "She's bleeding from a head wound." 

Carlos positioned himself on Faith's other side. "Damn. She's lost quite a bit of blood," he added, noticing the small pool under her head. 

Their eyes met briefly but neither one of them said another word. 

* * *

Sully pulled the car to a stop on West Oakland. He and Davis both climbed out and went inside the apartment building. They quickly took the stairs to the second floor and headed for apartment B212. 

When he saw the door was already open, he frowned. Keeping his hand on his gun holster, Sully stepped inside the apartment and saw Carlos and Alex Taylor working on someone. 

"What've we got?" Davis asked. 

Taylor looked over her shoulder, her face sullen. When she moved, Sully got a good look at the woman they were working on. 

"Is that Yokas?" he asked, stunned. 

Davis looked at him with wide eyes. 

"Yeah," Carlos answered. He stood up. "I'm goin' down to get the stretcher." He moved past them and out the door. 

"She gonna be okay?" Davis asked. 

"Her lungs are clear and her heart's steady. B.P.'s down from loss of blood. Lots of bruises and cuts. There are some around her throat; it looks like she may have been strangled. But it's the head wound I'm worried about." Taylor hesitated for a moment. "I think there's a pretty good chance she was raped."

Sully closed his eyes and swore under his breath. 

"Jesus," Davis muttered. 

"Where's her husband? And kids?" 

"They weren't here when we got here. There were keys in the door. And that tea pot's been going off for awhile." 

Sully walked into the kitchen and turned off the stove. Most of the water had boiled down the sides of the teapot and splattered all over the stove-top. He glanced around the room but didn't see anything else out of place there. He returned to the living room. 

Davis was squatted down amidst the rubble, holding up a gun holster. He looked at Sully. "Her weapon's gone." 

"Bastard probably took it with him. We need to get a team in here." 

"I'll call it in," Davis answered, standing up. 

"Somebody should call Bosco," Sully said grimly. 

"There's a payphone downstairs," Taylor told him. 

He nodded and headed for the door just as Carlos returned with the stretcher. 

* * *

Alex remained in the back of the bus with Faith while Carlos drove. She'd managed to stop the blood flow from the wound on Faith's head, but there was no doubt in her mind that the other woman had a pretty serious concussion. 

Sully and Davis had stayed behind to wait for the crime scene search unit to arrive. 

She leaned forward to check Faith's pulse again. Her heart was beating a bit faster than it had been only moments before. Alex glanced worriedly at her pale face, and was surprised to see that Faith's eyes were opened. "Faith? Can you hear me?" 

"Is she awake?" Carlos called. 

"Yeah!" she called back. "Don't try to talk, okay?" Alex readjusted the oxygen mask covering Faith's mout and nose. "If you can understand me, I want you to try and squeeze my hand." Alex waited, motionless, and was relieved when she felt a brief amount of pressure on her hand. "Good. That's great. We're taking you to the hospital, Faith. We'll be there in a couple of minutes. You just try and stay awake, okay?" 

Alex looked out the back window of the ambulance and said a silent thanks to whomever might be listening. 

* * *

"Still haven't gotten a hold of Bosco?" Davis asked as Sully returned to Yokas' apartment again. 

"Not yet. Either he's a heavy sleeper or he's shut off the damned ringer," Sully muttered. 

"Or he's not there," he replied with a shrug. "He may not have even gone home." 

"Maybe." Sully watched as the crime scene investigators collected evidence and photographed the scene. 

"Where do you think her husband is?" 

"I don't know," he said, shaking his head. 

Davis bit his lip. A thought suddenly occurred to him. "Who made the call?" 

"What?" 

"Someone called and reported a domestic dispute. That's what the dispatcher said. So...who placed the call?" 

They looked at each other. 

"That's a damn good question," Sully answered. "Let's start investigating the neighbors." 

"Hold it." 

Davis and Sully both turned around to see the detective in charge. 

"We'll take care of that," he said. 

"We know how to interview people," Sully informed the younger man, irritated. 

"I'm sure that's true. But this is my crime scene. I'll handle it." 

"Yeah? And the victim happens to be a friend of ours." 

"Which is exactly why you shouldn't get personally involved in this case." 

Sully narrowed his eyes and glared at him. 

"Sully, come on," Davis urged. "We need to find Bosco, anyway." 

"Listen to junior," the detective told him. 

He turned around to go, gritting his teeth together. "Yeah, and you're one to talk sonny," he said under his breath. 

* * *

Bosco was awakened to the sound of loud pounding. He groaned and pulled a pillow over his head. 

The pounding continued. A moment later, it was followed by muffled shouting. 

He lifted his head and squinted at the alarm clock on his nightstand. The glowing read digits said 4:09. 

"Go the hell away! The sun's not even up!" he shouted angrily. 

When the pounding still continued, he set his jaw, pushed himself out of bed and stomped across the floor to the door. He unlocked the deadbolt and the chain lock. "This better be good or somebody's going to get an ass-kicking!" He swung the door open and found himself staring at Sully and Davis. "What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, feeling confused. 

They exchanged a look. "We tried calling, but you didn't answer." 

"I turned off the ringer. Some ass kept calling and hanging up." He rubbed his face sleepily. "What's going on?" 

"Something happened tonight, Bosco," Sully began, his voice low and his eyes downcast. 

Bosco's eyes widened. "It's my mom, isn't it? She took that sonofabitch back and he hurt her again." He turned and headed to get a shirt and some shoes. "I'll kill him." 

"Bosco, it's not your mom." 

"What? Then what--"

"It's Yokas." 

He froze in his tracks, and then turned around slowly. "What?" 

"She was attacked," Davis said quietly. 

"Attacked?" he repeated. 

Davis looked away, but Sully met his eyes. "We think she may have been raped." 

Bosco stared at him in disbelief. For a moment, he couldn't speak. "May have been? Either she was or she wasn't. How the hell can you not know? What did she say?" 

"She didn't," Davis answered. "She was unconscious when we got there. Carlos and Taylor took her to the hospital." 

"Is she gonna be okay?" 

"Taylor said her pulse and lungs were fine, but she had a pretty nasty head wound," Sully informed him. 

Bosco turned and walked back to his bedroom, grabbed the first shirt he saw out of his closet and pulled it on. He stepped into a pair of tennis shoes and headed back towards Sully and Davis. "What hospital?"

"County General." 

"We're headed over there now. We'll give you a ride," Sully said. 

Bosco was the first one out the door. 

* * *


	3. 

Title: No Mercy (3/?)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. 

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Author's Note: I'm not an expertise in the medical or legal fields. What knowledge I do have comes from: Lights and Sirens: A Writer's Guide to Emergency Rescue Professions by James and Lois Cowan, Police Procedure: A Writer's Guide to the Police and How They Work by Russell Bintliff, and years of watching E.R. and Third Watch. However, if everything isn't accurate, please don't flame me. 

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

* * *

No Mercy (Part Three)

"Where's Carlos?" Sully asked.

"Carlos went to get some coffee. How's he doing?" Alex asked Davis and Sully, nodding towards Bosco, who was sitting alone in a chair on the far side of the hospital waiting room. 

Davis glanced over at him. "He didn't say anything the entire ride here. He's been sitting in that chair for an hour and a half." 

"What are the doctors saying?" 

"No news yet," Sully said with a sigh. 

"But she woke up on the way here, right?" Davis asked worriedly, looking at her for reassurance. 

"For a couple of minutes. She squeezed my hand. But she was out again before we got here." Alex glanced across the room at Bosco again. "I'm gonna go talk to him." 

Without waiting for a response, she walked over and sat down in the chair next to him. He didn't even acknowledge her presence. 

"The fact that she woke up in the ambulance is a really good sign. She understood what I said and squeezed my hand, so there probably isn't any brain damage." 

"It's my fault." 

"What?" 

"It's my fault," he repeated, staring at the floor. "I shouldn't have let her walk home alone." 

Alex frowned. "She was at her apartment when she was attacked." 

His head jerked up and he stared at her. "What?" 

"She was at her apartment." 

"Her apartment? Where the hell was Fred?" Bosco demanded. 

She shook her head. "I don't know. He wasn't there." 

"And the kids?" 

"They weren't there, either." 

"That doesn't make any sense. Where--" 

"Bosco?" 

They looked over and saw Sully and Davis standing by a doctor. They stood up and hurried over. 

* * *

"I'm Doctor Brown." 

"How is she?" Bosco asked immediately. 

Dr. Brown glanced around the group. "She woke up long enough to consent to a rape kit. Along with that, we took some x-rays, a cat scan and a blood panel. The x-rays showed two cracked ribs. We ran the cat scan to make sure there was no internal injury to the brain. That came back fine. She does, however, have a concussion from the trauma to the side of her head, probably caused by a blunt object. We'll keep her here for at least twenty four hours to make sure there are no side effects from that. She had a slight laceration on the other side of her head, but it wasn't deep enough to require stitches. The blood work hasn't come back from the lab yet." 

"Wait. The laceration wasn't deep enough to require stitches?" Taylor asked, her eyebrows furrowed. "It took me almost fifteen minutes to get the bleeding to stop." 

Dr. Brown frowned. "Well, her platelet count may be down for one reason or another. We should have that answer when the blood work is back." 

"What about the results of the rape kit?" Davis asked, his tone quiet but steady. 

"There's definite evidence of intercourse. We collected samples of semen both from her body and clothes. We also performed fingernail scrapings and did hair combings. There are bruises on her inner thighs, as well as on her neck that are consistent with finger patterns. We've bagged up the clothes she was wearing, and have taken photographs of her various physical injuries. At Faith's request, we've administered Plan B, also known as the 'morning after pill.' We're treating her with antibiotics for the prevention of any possible STD's, but she'll need to be tested again in two weeks, and then again after that in six weeks. We've given her Demerol for the pain." 

Bosco stood there, staring at the floor. 

"Is she awake?" Sully asked, his voice tense. 

"She's been in and out of consciousness. The Demerol should take effect very quickly and once it does, she'll probably sleep for several hours." Dr. Brown glanced around at them. "I noticed that she's wearing a wedding ring. Does anyone here know how to contact her husband?" 

Sully, Davis and Taylor all looked at Bosco. 

"I don't know where he'd be if he wasn't at the apartment." 

"What about her other family members? Her parents, siblings?" 

"We should wait. Faith's not really close with her family. She may not want them here." 

Dr. Brown nodded. "All right." 

"Can I see her?" Bosco asked quietly. 

He hesitated. "For a few minutes. She needs her rest." 

Bosco nodded and followed the doctor down the hallway. Dr. Brown motioned to a room and Bosco stepped inside. He swallowed hard and moved closer to the bed, not comprehending that the pale woman lying there was his partner. 

He winced at the sight of the huge bruise on one side of her head; the other side was covered by a small bandage. There was a ring of yellowish-green bruises around her neck. There were also cuts and bruises on both of her arms. She was covered with a thin white blanket, and an I.V. needle was stuck in her hand. Tubes ran from it to a bag of potassium chloride that was hanging up. 

Bosco felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. He felt like throwing up. He reached out to touch her face, but quickly drew his hand away, afraid he'd hurt her. 

He stood there, staring down at his partner, listening to the quiet sound of her breathing, wishing he could help her; wishing he could somehow make it so none of this had ever happened. 

And as he stood there, he was consciously aware of the fact that he couldn't go back and change history. But he damn sure wasn't going to stand by and do nothing. Beneath the shock and pain he felt there was a stirring of pure hatred and rage. He let it build for awhile, savoring its familiarity and allowing it to fuel a rush of adrenaline into his system. His fists clenched involuntarily.

"I'm going to make this right, Faith," he promised, his voice barely a whisper. "I swear it." 

Bosco turned and left the room. He stormed down the hallway, ignoring the curious stares of passerbys. He was halfway to the exit when he heard Sully call his name. He turned to see Sully, Davis and Taylor looking at him with concerned expressions. 

"Where are you going?" Davis asked. 

"To work. I'm going to find the lowlife son-of-a-bitch that did this to her and when I do..." Bosco turned and headed for the door without finishing his thought. He knew they were staring after him, but he didn't care. Someone had hurt his partner. 

And that someone had hell to pay.


	4. 

Title: No Mercy (4/?)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. 

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Author's Note: I'm not an expertise in the medical or legal fields. What knowledge I do have comes from: Lights and Sirens: A Writer's Guide to Emergency Rescue Professions by James and Lois Cowan, Police Procedure: A Writer's Guide to the Police and How They Work by Russell Bintliff, and years of watching E.R. and Third Watch. However, if everything isn't accurate, please don't flame me. 

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

* * *

No Mercy (Part Four)

"Sir, I need to talk to you." Bosco stood in the captain's office doorway.

Captain Stick looked up, a surprised expression on his face. "Boscorelli. I heard about what happened to Yokas. How's she doing?" 

"She's still unconscious." 

Captain Stick nodded. "What can I do for you?" 

"I want permission to work with the detectives on this case," Bosco said bluntly. "I know it's not procedure, but--" 

"It's a bad idea." 

"Sir--" 

"Listen to me, Boscorelli. I remember what it's like to have a partner. And how it feels if your partner is injured in the line of duty, or even if it's not in the line of duty. I know you're angry and that you want to help Yokas. But this isn't the way to do it." 

Bosco stared at him. "So your answer is no." 

"My answer is no," Stick confirmed. 

He shook his head and turned to leave. 

"Boscorelli." 

"What?" Bosco asked, growing more impatient by the second. 

"Take the next three days off." 

"I don't--" 

"It's not a suggestion. Take the time off, spend some time with Yokas, get your head clear. Don't do something stupid, Bosco." There was a hint of warning to the captain's voice.

He set his jaw. "Yes, Sir." Bosco turned and walked away. I won't do anything stupid. I'll just make sure justice is served. 

* * *

"Man, what a night," Carlos complained as he dropped into a chair at the table of the firestation. "I could use about thirty hours of sleep." 

"Lot of calls?" Jimmy asked, glancing up from where he was cooking scrambled eggs. "Alex, eggs?" 

"No thanks. I'm going up to change clothes," she said tiredly as she trudged past them and up the stairs. 

"Hey, Alex," Kim said as she walked down the stairs.

"Hey." 

Kim frowned and stepped into the kitchen. "What's with her?" 

"What's with who?" Doc asked as he arrived for his shift. 

"Alex." 

"What? You guys haven't heard?" Carlos asked, looking around at them in disbelief. 

"Heard what?" Jimmy asked, frowning as he shuffled the eggs out of the pan and onto a plate. 

"About what happened. You really don't know?" When his question was met with silence and three pairs of eyes, Carlos shook his head. "Officer Yokas was raped last night." 

"Are you serious?" Jimmy asked, stunned. 

He nodded. "Yep. Taylor and I took the E.M.S. call." 

"Damn," Doc muttered. 

"Is she okay?" Kim asked, eyes wide with concern. 

"She looked pretty bad. Her apartment was completely trashed. She had a hell of a battle with whoever attacked her. She was unconscious when we got there. Big bruise on her head, puddle of blood." 

"Isn't Yokas married?" Jimmy asked, glancing from Carlos to Doc, then to Kim.

"Yeah, and she has two kids." Kim turned to look at Carlos. "Were they okay?" 

He shrugged. "They weren't there." 

"Have they caught the guy?" Doc questioned, leaning against the counter. 

"No. They have no idea who it was. She hasn't woken up yet." Carlos shook his head. "It was a really violent attack. If we hadn't gotten there when we he had...oh, and you should have seen Bosco. The guy was practically catatonic. It was weird." 

"Not so much," Kim said quietly. "He's her partner. They've been working together for years. When you work that closely with someone for so long and something happens to that person..." Her voice trailed off. She swallowed hard and blinked rapidly as tears filled her eyes. 

"Yeah, but I was always under the impression that the two of them didn't really like each other," Carlos said, oblivious to why everyone else had gone silent. He frowned and glanced around the room. "What? They're always fighting and..." He shook his head and shut his mouth. 

Doc nudged Kim gently. "You okay?" 

She nodded. "Yeah, I just...I need some fresh air," she said quietly. She left the room.

"What's her problem?" 

Jimmy glared at Carlos. "You know, you really are a moron." He shut off the stove and went upstairs. 

"What did I say?" Carlos demanded, looking at Doc. 

Doc just shook his head. 

* * *

Bosco lingered in the open doorway of his partner's apartment, watching the crime scene unit as they worked. 

"Excuse me. Can I help you?" 

He turned around to see a vaguely familiar guy standing behind him. He was about 5'8" with short blond hair and green eyes. "You the detective?" 

The man nodded. "I'm Detective Masters. Who are you?" 

"Officer Bosocrelli with the 55th precinct." Bosco flashed his badge. 

"Ah. You a friend of the victim's?" 

"I'm her partner," he answered shortly. 

Masters looked startled for a moment. "How is she?" 

"Sleeping. What can you tell me?" 

"Well, there's not a lot to go on, unfortunately." Masters stepped inside the apartment and motioned for Bosco to follow. "We've collected various hair and fiber samples, as well as several samples of blood. We'll be sending them to the lab shortly to determine if they belong to your partner or to someone else..." 

Bosco's gaze locked on the splintered remains of the wooden table and on the large blood stain in the carpet.

"...been interviewing the occupants of the other apartments in the building, but so far nothing's turned up there." 

He blinked and forced himself to look away from the dark spot. "What about the caller?" 

"We're running a trace on the number." 

Bosco nodded. "What about the security survelliance videos?" 

"We've checked through them already. At 1:45 a.m. the suspect entered the building wearing a dark ski mask. At 3:18 a.m., the same man left the building, but he wasn't wearing the mask. Unfortunately, he also wasn't facing the camera, so all we have to go on is a picture of the back of the S.O.B.'s head." 

"If you find anything else--anything at all, I want to know about it ASAP," Bosco said seriously, looking the detective in the eye.

"Where can I find you?" 

"I'll be at County General," he answered quietly. He wanted, needed to be there when his partner woke up. 

Masters nodded and then removed a card from his jacket pocket. "This is my cell number. When Officer Yokas wakes up, I want to talk to her as soon as possible." 

Bosco took the card from him and slipped it into his jeans pocket. "All right." He took one final look around the apartment and his gaze locked on the blood stain again. He could taste the bile in the back of his throat and he quickly turned and left. 

* * *

As soon as Bosco headed down the hospital corridor, he spotted Sully talking to Dr. Brown. He walked up to them. "How is she?" 

"I was just telling Officer Sullivan that Faith is still sleeping. However, the results of the blood work I ran just got back from the lab." 

"And?" 

Dr. Brown flipped through the chart he was holding. "And as I had suspected, her platelet count is low. Normal platelet counts range from 150,000 to 400,000 for each 3 mm of blood. Faith's is just below 145,000." 

"What does that mean?" Bosco asked, frowning.

"Well, basically one of the main jobs of platelets is to clot the blood. When the platelet level is low, as in Faith's case, it takes longer for minor wounds to stop bleeding. It's why she lost so much blood from a minor head laceration. Also, both her red and white blood cell counts are slightly lower than normal." 

"Well, what causes that?" Sully asked. 

"Any number of things, really. Certain medications or treatments could cause it. Also, if she's anemic or if she's been ill recently, or even if she's not getting enough Vitamin-B or folate...all those could account for the lower levels. I'm sure once she wakes up and I'm able to ascertain her full medical history, we'll be able to determine the cause," Dr. Brown said. He looked from Bosco to Sully. "Anymore questions?" 

They both shook their heads. 

"Well, which one of you should I contact if there's any change in her condition?" 

"I'll be here," Bosco answered. 

Dr. Brown nodded and walked away. 

Sully glanced at him. "I thought you went in to work." 

"Yeah, well, Captain Stick decided to give me an unrequested three day vacation." 

"That's probably a good idea." 

"Excuse me?" 

"I know you're angry right now. So am I. I like Yokas. But when she wakes up, she's going to need a lot of support. Not someone who's going to go off half-cocked and try to pull some one-man vigilante hero b.s." 

"You don't think the bastard that did this to her deserves to die?" Bosco demanded, glaring at him.

"I didn't say that." Sully lowered his voice as he noticed to the stares from people walking by. "Look, I had a friend in high school. A girl. Our senior year she went out on a date with a freshman in college. He slipped some drugs into her drink and raped her while she was unconscious. A month later she hanged herself in her parents' garage." Sully looked at the ground for a moment, then at Bosco. "I'm telling you this because right now you're the closest thing to family she has. We don't know where Fred is. She's going to need you, Bosco. Whether she'll admit it or not." 

Bosco stared at him and let his words sink in. 

"Can you deal with that?" Sully asked seriously. 

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, making an attempt to quell his anger. "I guess we'll find out." 

* * *

Bosco hated hospitals. The rooms were always the same: an adjustable bed, a t.v. nailed to the wall at such an angle you practically had to sprain your neck to watch it, a stand next to the bed that the telephone set on, a rolling tray the hospital staff served the patients meals on, two fancy straight-back chairs that couldn't be less comfortable if the seats had needles sticking out of them. Then there were the white tile floors, and the white or light colored-walls that were completely bare other than a framed photo of Jesus Christ on one of them. 

Like anyone actually knows what the guy looked like, he thought, rolling his eyes. His gaze traveled to his partner, who was still sleeping. He stood up and rubbed his face wearily. 

Sully had left shortly after their conversation in the hallway, and a couple hours later, the nurses had moved Faith into a private room on the fifth floor. The doctor had checked on her again about an hour ago and had told Bosco that she would probably be awake soon. 

Bosco yawned. He'd forgotten how tiring it was to sit and wait at the hospital for long periods of time. He felt like he'd put in a double-shift at work with without taking any breaks. He turned and gazed out the window at the busy cityscape. The longer he stared out, the more the lights all melded together until it was like he was looking into one of those kaleidoscopes he'd had as a kid.

He heard a muffled sound from behind him and he turned to see Faith moving around in the bed. Her eyes were still closed, but her mouth was twisted into a grimace. 

Either she was having a nightmare or she was in pain.

Or both, he thought grimly. He crossed the room and stood next to her. He gently picked up her hand. "Faith? Can you hear me?"

She was turning her head back and forth, beads of sweat on her forehead. 

Definitely having a nightmare, he decided. He'd woken up more times than he could count much in the same way. 

"Faith, it's me, Bosco. I need you to wake up, okay?" 

"Bosco..." Her movements stilled and a moment later her eyes opened. She squinted against the light. "Bosco..." 

"Yeah." He squeezed her hand affectionately. "About time you woke up. How are you feeling?" 

"My head...hurts," she answered, her voice a hoarse whisper. 

"Well, according to the doctor you took a pretty hard hit." 

"What...what are you doing here?" Faith asked, confused. "Shouldn't you be at work?" 

He hesitated for a moment. "Captain Stick wanted me to take a couple days off." He was glad she didn't question him any further on the subject. 

She coughed and her hand moved to her side, her face contorted in pain. 

Bosco quickly grabbed a styrofoam cup off the bedside stand and poured some water into it from the pitcher. He held it out to her. 

Faith sipped the water slowly. "What time is it?" 

He glanced at his watch. "5:30." He took the cup back from her and set it on the stand. "I should go find your doctor. I'll be right back." 

"Boz?" 

"Yeah?" Bosco turned to look at her.

"We've got to catch this guy." Her gaze was steady, her voice full of determination. 

He nodded and met her gaze. "We will," he promised. 


	5. 

Title: No Mercy (4/?)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. 

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Author's Note: I'm not an expertise in the medical or legal fields. What knowledge I do have comes from: Lights and Sirens: A Writer's Guide to Emergency Rescue Professions by James and Lois Cowan, Police Procedure: A Writer's Guide to the Police and How They Work by Russell Bintliff, and years of watching E.R. and Third Watch. However, if everything isn't accurate, please don't flame me. 

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

* * *

No Mercy (Part Five)

"Your doctor got called in to assist a trauma in the--what are you doing?" Bosco demanded, alarmed as he watched her swing her legs over the side of the bed. 

Faith grimaced as she reached for the rolling I.V. stand that she was hooked up to. "I need to go to the bathroom," she said without looking at him.

"You should wait, you have a pretty bad head injury." 

"I'll be okay." She winced in pain as she pressed her hands against the matress and pushed herself to her feet. As soon as she stood up, the room started to spin and a wave of nausea overwhelmed her. 

A second later, an arm slid around her waist, supporting her and holding her up. "Breathe," Bosco instructed her, his voice firm but gentle. 

She leaned against him, closed her eyes, and tried to concentrate on not throwing up. After a moment, she regained her sense of balance and she opened her eyes again. "I'm okay. I'm okay." 

"You feel like you can make it to the bathroom without blacking out?" he asked, his arm still around her. 

"I think so." 

"We'll go slow." 

Faith slowly made her way to the restroom with her partner's help. Her head was pounding and she felt sick to her stomach, but she didn't ask him to stop. 

"I'll wait right outside," Bosco told her as they reached the bathroom.

"Thanks." Faith closed the door behind her. After she had used the restroom, she gripped onto the edge of the sink for support. She turned the handle for hot water and watched the liquid spiral down the drain. Then she washed her hands, barely noticing the stinging pain the warm water caused as she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror over the sink.

She froze and stared at her reflection. There was a white bandage on the left side of her forehead and dried blood matted the hair down around it. The right side of her head, from her temple on back was covered in a nasty purple and blue bruise. There were small green and yellow bruises around her neck. 

"Yokas? You okay?" 

Faith blinked at the sound of Bosco's voice. "Yeah," she said, her voice soft. She shut off the water and twisted the door handle, reaching back to pull the rolling I.V. stand along with her. 

Bosco started to help her, but she pushed his hand away. "I've got it. I'm all right," she said, not looking at him. 

He walked alongside her, not touching her, but remaining close enough he could stop her from falling if he had to. 

Faith eased herself down onto the edge of the bed and bit down on her tongue to avoid crying out at the burst of sharp pain in her side. She leaned back against her pillows. "Who's the detective working the case?" she asked, knowing her partner would have the answer. 

"Masters," Bosco responded. 

She ran the name through her mind, trying to determine whether or not she knew the guy. The name was vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place a face with it. "I need you to call him and have him come down here." 

He hesitated. "Maybe we better wait until the doctor sees you first." 

"We don't know how long that could be. If he's assisting on a trauma, it could be hours. I want to get this over with, Bosco." Faith carefully avoided looking at him. 

"Well, what about Fred?" 

She froze, unsure of how to respond. Her mind flashed back to the fight she'd had with her husband the previous morning. 

"It was never about you being a trophy wife. It was about you being a wife and mother, period. I'm surprised the kids recognize you no more than you're ever here. I'm tired of taking a backseat to everyone and everything else in your life, Faith. I'm tired of doing all the work around here and never getting any time for the two of us." 

"Yeah, well anytime I have off you seem to be pretty busy with other things like winning trucks and watching football on television. Don't make this out to be like it's all my fault," she said angrily. 

Fred shook his head. "Whatever. If we're going to toss around sins of the past, let's talk about how you went and killed our baby and then lied to me about it!" 

"Fred--" 

"Forget it, Faith. The kids and I won't be here when you get home today." 

Bosco's voice broke through the memory. "Where is he? And the kids?" 

Hot tears stung her eyes. It was just too much. "Just let it go, okay?" she said, trying to keep her voice even. 

"Faith--" 

"Bosco, please don't do this right now. I can't..." Her voice cracked with emotion and she cursed herself in her mind. "I just can't." She waited for him to get angry with her, to yell at her. 

"Okay," he answered to her surprise. "We don't have to talk about it now." Bosco didn't apear upset with her at all. "I'll call Detective Masters and have him come down here. Is...uh...is there anyone else you want me to call or--?" 

"No. Just the detective." Faith took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she found him looking at her with a concerned expression on his face. She gave him the most reassuring smile she could manage. 

"I'll be back," he promised. He headed for the door. 

Faith watched him go, then blinked back tears as she stared at the ceiling.

* * *

Bosco leaned against the far wall of his partner's hospital room, his arms folded across his chest. 

"Is there anyone you'd like to be here before we begin?" Detective Masters asked Faith. She shook her head and he glanced back at Bosco. "Is it okay that he's here?" 

Bosco met her eyes from across the room, suppressing his instinct to start an argument with the guy for merely suggesting he was out of place. But one look at Faith's pale and bruised face snapped Bosco back into the severity of the situation. 

"He can stay, if he wants," Faith answered, her eyes still on him.

Bosco nodded slightly and then they both turned their attentions to the detectives in charge. 

Masters' partner--a tall, lanky young guy with close-cropped brown hair and brown eyes--Marcus Flannigan leaned against the wall nearest Faith's bed while Masters sat in one of the straight-backed chairs, his tape recorder and pad of paper in hand. 

"All right. Why don't you tell us everything that you can remember about what happened, starting with the end of your shift last night?" Masters hit record and nodded at Faith. 

She took a deep breath. "I got off work at 11:00. Bosco offered me a ride home, but I said no. I wanted to get some air so I decided to walk." 

"Is that usual? For you to walk home alone after your shift?" Flannigan asked. 

"Sometimes my husband picks me up or I ride with Boz...sometimes I walk." 

"Don't you have a car?" 

"Yeah, but Fred usually has it for work and to pick up our kids after school." 

"Did you happen to notice if anyone was following you?" 

"No, I don't think so. I mean, I was alert. I didn't see anyone." 

"Did you go straight home or did you stop somewhere first?" Masters asked. 

"I went straight home." 

"And what time would you say you got there?" 

"11:30, maybe 11:45." 

"And your husband and kids weren't there?" 

Faith looked down at the white blanket covering her legs. "No." 

"Where were they?" 

"Does it matter? They weren't there. Next question," Bosco said tensely, gazing coldly at Flannigan. He wanted to know where Fred had been, too, but not when the question was clearly upsetting to Faith. She'd been through enough already. 

Flannigan shot him a disgusted look, but didn't press for an answer. 

"Why don't you tell us what you did when you got to your apartment," Masters suggested, trying to diffuse the tension. 

"I unlocked the door and went inside. I took off my coat and gun holster and put them in the closet where my kids couldn't reach them. Then--" 

"Wait, I thought your kids weren't there," Flannigan interrupted. 

"They weren't...but I didn't know that then," Faith said, looking a bit frustrated. 

"Go on, Officer Yokas," Masters encouraged. 

She ran a hand through her hair. "I went down the hall to my daughter's room. She wasn't there. I fell asleep in her bed for a couple hours." 

"What time did you wake up?" 

Faith closed her eyes and appeared to be in deep thought. "A little after two." 

"What made you wake up?" 

She frowned. "I don't know. I just woke up. I wanted tea, so I went to the kitchen to make some. While I was waiting for the water to boil, I heard a noise from the other room. 

"Which room?" 

"The living room." 

"What kind of noise?" Flannigan asked, leaning forward. 

Bosco watched her carefully. 

"I'm not sure. I remember thinking that maybe Fred had come back, but when I called out, he didn't answer. I thought I was hearing things until I heard the same noise again a couple minutes later." 

"What did you do?" 

"I went to get my gun out of the closet. The light was on in the living room and I didn't see anyone." She paused and swallowed hard. "I got my gun from the top shelf and that's...that's when I was attacked from behind." 

The muscles in his body tensed up and he tried to prepare himself to hear whatever it was she was about to describe. 

"What do you mean when you say attacked?" Masters asked gently. 

"I was shoved up against the wall by the closet door. I dropped my gun, but I managed to elbow the guy in his ribs and I punched him in the side of his head. He was wearing a dark ski mask." Faith winced and her hand rose to the bruise on the left side of her head. 

"Then what happened?" Flannigan pressed. 

Bosco's jaw clenched. Couldn't this asshole see she was in pain? 

"Maybe we should take a short break," Masters suggested, glancing from Faith to Bosco. 

"No, I wanna get this done with," she answered, her voice still strained and rough. "We fought. I tried to get my weapon, but everytime it was within reach, he'd be right there. He threw me into the wooden coffee table--it knocked the wind out of me. Before I could catch my breath, he grabbed me and slammed me up against the wall. Then he started to choke me. I couldn't breathe. I thought he was going to kill me." 

He swallowed hard, his heart beating twice as fast as usual, his fists clenching involuntarily at his sides. 

"After that, things are kind of fuzzy. Either he dropped me or I managed to get loose...I just know I was on the floor looking up at him and then he was sitting on top of me." 

Bosco wasn't sure he could handle hearing anything else. He wanted to turn and flee the room, forget that any of this had ever happened. 

"I remember thinking I had to do something so he'd be caught, so I reached up and grabbed the ski mask off his face." 

He froze, his gaze locked on his partner's face. 

"Wait a minute. Are you telling me that you saw this guy's face?" Flannigan demanded. "What did he look like?" 

Faith closed her eyes and her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. 

For a long moment, no one said anything. 

Then her eyes opened and unshed tears shimmered there. "All I can remember is that his eyes were green. I know I saw his face, I know I did, but...I can't remember." The disappointment in his voice was obvious. 

Flannigan sighed in disgust. "Great." 

"It's okay," Masters said quickly. "What happened when you pulled off his mask? What did he do?" 

"He said...something to me...I don't..." She shook her head. "Then he hit me with my gun. And I was out. The next thing I remember I was in the back of an ambulance and someone was talking to me." 

"Taylor," he said without thinking about it. 

She looked over at him. 

"Alex Taylor," Bosco told her quietly. "She was the one who talked to you in the ambulance." He walked over to her side, poured her a fresh cup of water and handed it to her. 

"Thanks." Faith took a sip of the water and stared down at the blanket. 

"Is there anything else you can tell us? Anything at all?" Masters asked. 

"That's all I can remember. I'm really sorry." 

"We'll be in touch with you again soon." 

The door opened and everyone looked up. 

Dr. Brown walked into the room glanced around. "Am I interrupting?" 

Detective Masters stood up. "No. We were just leaving." 

Bosco looked at Faith. "I'll be right outside." 

"Okay." 

He followed the two detectives out into the hallway. 

"Well, that was helpful," Flannigan muttered. 

All the emotions that Bosco had been fighting since his partner began to recount her story burst through. "What the hell is your problem?" he demanded, standing toe-to-toe with the guy. 

"You mean other than the fact there's a serial rapist out there and we don't have fuckin' clue who he is?" the younger man returned. 

"Whoa, whoa. Calm down," Masters said calmly, stepping between them. 

"Don't tell me to calm down. Your partner here needs to learn a lesson about friggin' sensitivity!" 

"Oh, and I suppose you're going to teach me?" Flannigan demanded. 

Bosco glared at him coldly. "You and I are gonna have problems, boy." He turned to find a vending machine. 

"Is that a threat? I'm really scared," Flannigan taunted. 

He clenched his fists involuntarily, just itching to turn around and sock the bastard right in his jaw. Instead, he turned and looked at Masters. "Either shut him up or get him the hell outta here before I do something he'll regret later." 

"Not a problem. Marcus, we're done here. Let's go," Masters commanded. 

Bosco and Flannigan glared at each other for another moment before the younger man finally turned and left with his partner. 

Some guy walked buy, throwing a nervous glance in his direction. 

"What the hell are you lookin' at?" Bosco demanded. 

The guy hurried away, leaving him standing alone in the hospital corridor. 

* * *


	6. 

Title: No Mercy (6/?)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. 

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Author's Note: I'm not an expertise in the medical or legal fields. What knowledge I do have comes from: Lights and Sirens: A Writer's Guide to Emergency Rescue Professions by James and Lois Cowan, Police Procedure: A Writer's Guide to the Police and How They Work by Russell Bintliff, and years of watching E.R. and Third Watch. However, if everything isn't accurate, please don't flame me. 

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

* * *

No Mercy (Part Six)

"What are you thinking about?" Davis asked softly, leaning over Alex on one elbow as they lay in his bed together that evening. 

"Faith Yokas," she answered. She turned over on her side to face him, resting her head on the pillows. "I don't really know her very well. Do you?" 

He frowned as he thought about it. Yokas had been with the precinct when he'd first started working there. She'd always been nice to him. But his knowledge of her pretty much began and ended with the fact that she was a cop, she was married and she had a couple of kids. "No, not really." 

"I feel like I should be at the hospital. See how she's doing." Alex looked up at him. 

Davis nodded. "Okay. Let me get a shower." 

"Actually, I'd like to take one, too." 

He grinned. "Then why don't you join me?" 

She smiled back. "It would conserve water." 

"I'm all for protecting the enviroment." 

Their eyes met and then she leaned up and kissed him on the lips. He touched her cheek and kissed her back. The shower could wait a bit longer. 

* * *

Dr. Brown shone a light in Faith's eyes. "Well, all things considered, I think you're going to be okay. Barring any complications, we'll be able to release you tomorrow." 

"What about the memory loss?" she asked anxiously. "I need to remember the guy's face." 

"I'd say it's just a case of temporary selective amnesia. You'll probably regain that memory in a week or two." 

"Probably?" 

"Well, in the majority of cases of patients with temporary amnesia, they recover their memories fairly quickly." 

"And the others?" 

Dr. Brown hesitated. "Faith, I will warn you that the more stress you're under, the less likely it is that you'll remember the details you've forgotten." 

She didn't say anything. 

"Also, I'm concerned about your platelet level. It's unusually low. Your red and white blood cells were also low, but not enough to worry about at this point." 

Faith swallowed hard. Dr. Case had warned her that the radiation treatments she was taking could possibly have side effects. "So what does that mean? That my platelet level is down?"

"Well, the biggest problem is that when your platelet level is low, your blood doesn't clot as quickly. Any minor cut or sore that bleeds could be potentially dangerous. You lost a great deal of blood from the laceration to your head this morning. But what's important is that we find out what's causing your level to be low."

"I've been receiving radiation therapy for the last couple weeks. Could that be a cause?" 

Dr. Brown looked surprised. "It certainly can. May I ask what type of cancer you're being treated for?" 

"Breast cancer. I actually had surgery to remove the tumor and my doctor said they got all of it. The radiation's just a precaution." 

He nodded. "Well, in that case, there isn't much that can be done to raise your platelet level. As long as you're taking the radiation, that is. But I can have one of the nurses go over a list of precautionary measures to help avoid possible accidents before I release you."

Faith nodded. "Thank you." 

"You're welcome." Dr. Brown gazed at her for a moment. "Would you like me to contact one of the rape crisis advocates from the center and have her come down here?" 

"No," she answered immediately, her entire body going numb at the word 'rape.' She knew she'd been sexually assaulted, but her mind had yet to begin processing the facts. 

"Are you sure?" 

"I'm okay." 

"Well, then. I'll be back to check on you in the morning. If you need to see me before then, have one of the nurses page me." 

"Okay. Thank you." 

He nodded and headed for the door.

* * *

Bosco was leaning against the wall in the hospital hallway when Dr. Brown stepped out of Faith's room. "How is she?" 

The doctor looked at him. "As long as she takes it easy, she should be fine. Her ribs will be pretty sore for awhile. But as long as she does well throughout the night, we'll probably release her tomorrow. I'll be back in the morning to check on her." 

"Okay." He watched as Dr. Brown turned and walked down the corridor. A frown settled on his face. Bosco took a deep breath and stepped back into his partner's hospital room. "Hey." 

"Hey," she answered, her voice unusually quiet. 

Bosco hesitated in the doorway for a moment. "So, uh...the doctor said you could probably get out of here tomorrow." 

"You sound surprised." 

"Yeah, I guess, it's just...you have a pretty bad head injury." 

"Well, you always said I had a hard head," Faith answered, a trace of a smile on her lips. 

He smiled briefly and moved across the room to the chair beside her bed. He sat down. For a long moment, neither of them said anything.

Then she glanced over at him. "You don't have to stay here." 

Bosco paused a moment before responding, knowing he had to be careful of what he said or he'd get himself thrown out. "Yeah, I do." When he saw the look of protest she was giving him, he added, "If I wasn't here, I'd just be sittin' at home with nothing to do, bored out of my mind. So unless you don't want the company..." 

"You're welcome to stay, I just don't want you to feel obligated to be here." She was avoiding his gaze again. 

"If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be here. Simple as that." It wasn't entirely the truth. There were many, many reasons he wasn't about to leave her alone at the hospital. But he didn't think that it was in either of their best interests to discuss those reasons at that particular moment. 

"Okay." There was a tiny hint of relief in her tone. 

"Okay," he repeated. 

At that moment, a nurse came in carrying a tray of food. "Dinnertime," she said with a smile. She set the dinner tray on the rolling hospital tray and took the cover off. "Enjoy." She left again. 

"Yeah, about as much as a root canal," Faith muttered, making a face. 

"Oh, come on, it's..." Bosco glanced at the contents of the tray. "...turkey. I think. And mashed potatoes. I think." 

"If it's so great, you eat it." 

"I'll pass. But thanks." 

"Looks like we're in time for dinner," a voice said from the doorway. 

"Yeah, and you never miss a meal," someone else said. 

Bosco looked up to see Sully, Davis and Taylor in the entry way to Faith's room. 

"You're more than welcome to this one," Faith said, gesturing towards the plate. 

"Is it okay for us to be here?" Davis asked, glancing from her to Bosco.

"Yeah, come on in," she answered. 

"How are you feeling?" Taylor asked. 

"I'm okay." 

Bosco studied her, a worried expression on his face. 

Faith glanced at him and sighed. "Sully, Davis. Do me a favor. Take Boz to get some food. I don't think he's eaten all day." 

Sully and Davis exchanged a look, and then both turned their attentions to Bosco, who just stared at Faith. After everything that had happened, the only thing she was concerned with was that *he* hadn't *eaten?*

"Go on, you need to eat." 

He hesitated. He was hungry, but he didn't want to leave her there alone. He glanced at Taylor, who nodded slightly. "I'll stay here and keep Faith company." 

Bosco glanced at Faith again. "I'll be back shortly." 

"Take your time. It's not like I'm going anywhere." 

He nodded, then followed Sully and Davis out the door.

* * *

"So, wait. Are you saying she actually saw the guy?" Davis asked, stunned as he stared at Bosco.

"Yeah, she saw him. The problem is the only thing she can remember is that he had green eyes," Bosco said, staring down at his styrofoam cup filled with coffee. 

"She did take a pretty hard knock to the head," Sully commented. 

"Yeah, maybe it's just temporary from the concussion," Davis agreed. 

"Or from the trauma." 

Sully and Davis exchanged a look but remained silent, waiting for him to explain. 

Bosco took a deep breath. "There have been a lot of cases where the victims of violent assaults forget certain details about the attack." 

"You think she's blocking?" Sully asked, frowning deeply.

"I don't know. Maybe." 

"Well, either way, it's only temporary, right? She'll remember it eventually?" Davis questioned. 

"Actually, in many cases where the victim blocks out a memory...it can take years to get it back. Sometimes they never do," Sully said quietly. 

Bosco's hand clenched involuntarily around the styrofoam cup and it exploded suddenly, the remainder of his coffee spraying all over the table and his shirt. "Damn it!" he swore. 

Davis quickly reached over and grabbed a stack of napkins. He handed a couple to Bosco and then wiped up the mess on the table. 

"Thanks," he muttered, wiping the coffee off his hands and half-heartedly off his shirt. 

"So where's Fred in all of this?" Sully asked. 

"I don't know." He tossed the napkins onto the table and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his head as it started to pound. "I have more questions than answers right now." He paused for a moment. "The doctor's talking about releasing her tomorrow." 

"Well, that's a good thing, isn't it?" 

"It'll be harder to protect her once she's been released," he answered, staring at the tabletop. 

"What? You think this guy's gonna come after her again?" 

"She saw his face. He knows where she lives. He has her gun. You do the math." 

Sully eyed him a bit doubtfully. "If he was going to kill her, why wouldn't he have done it when he had the chance?" 

"I don't know. Maybe he heard the ambulance sirens or maybe he thought if he left her there she'd die on her own from loss of blood." Bosco shook his head. "I'm not taking any chances." 

"Well, what did the detective have to say?" Davis asked. 

"I didn't bring it up." 

"Who is the detective?" 

"Masters." 

Sully frowned. "I know Masters. That wasn't the guy at Yokas' apartment." 

"It was probably the dim-witted jack-off he calls a partner." 

"That sounds more like the guy," Sully replied sourly. 

Bosco leaned forward and looked at both of them seriously. "I may need some help. I don't want her left alone for one minute until either we catch this guy or he's six feet under."

"I'd be glad to help," Davis said with a shrug.

Sully nodded in agreement. "Me too. But is Yokas gonna go for this?" 

He shrugged. "I don't care if she likes it or not. I'm not gonna lose...she's not going to end up dead because she doesn't want to accept help. She'll get over it." 

* * *

"Boz said...you were the one who helped me this morning." Faith glanced at Alex and smiled briefly. "Thank you." 

"Sure, no problem. Is there...is there anything I can do?" 

"Actually, there is. I hate to ask, but can you find one of the nurses? My doctor said he'd send someone to remove the I.V. but that's been awhile and my hand's really starting to hurt," she said, rubbing it gingerly. 

Alex stood up. "Sure, I'll be right back." She headed to the door. "Oh, hey, Kim." 

"Hey, Alex," Kim answered, pausing in the doorway. She dropped her voice. "How is she?" 

"Well, she's awake. I'll be back." Alex left the room.

Kim stepped inside, carrying a balloon attatched to a small bag of candy and a card. "Hi." 

Faith looked up, slightly surprised. "Hi." 

"I heard about what happened and I wanted to see how you were doing." She set the balloon down on the windowsill and then handed Faith the card. "Joey made it." 

She smiled as she glanced down at the folded piece of yellow construction paper. There was a rainbow and a smiling sun with stick-figure people on the ground below. On the inside were the words, 'Get well soon. Love, Joey and Mommy.' 

"Thank you. Tell Joey I love it." 

Kim nodded and sat down in the chair that Alex had vacated. She glanced around. "I figured Bosco would be here." 

"He's down at the cafeteria with Sully and Davis." 

"Sounds like you've had a lot of visitors today." 

"Word travels fast, I guess," Faith said quietly. 

Kim looked at her sympathetically. "Tell me about it." There was a moment of silence. "Where's Fred?" 

Faith looked away.

"You know what? That's really none of my business," Kim said quickly. "Sorry." 

"It's okay, it's just...we're fighting." 

"It must be pretty serious if he's not here with you."

"Yeah, it is." Faith quickly reached up to wipe away the involuntary tears that had sprung to her eyes, then winced as the sudden movement sent pain shooting to her ribs. 

Kim watched her with concerned eyes. 

"All I really want is to take a shower," she admitted, grimacing at how unclean she felt. 

At that moment, Bosco, Sully and Davis walked in. 

"Hey, Kim," Sully said, nodding at her.

"Hey." 

"Where's Taylor?" Davis asked, glancing around. 

"She went to get a nurse to remove my I.V.," Faith answered, struggling to sit up. 

"Hey, easy," Bosco said, walking over to her bedside. "You're gonna hurt yourself." He pressed the button on the rail that raised the head of the bed. 

"Did you eat?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow. 

"Yeah, but you didn't," he commented, glancing at her tray of food. 

"Well, I didn't want to add food poisoning to my list of problems." 

Bosco frowned. "You need to eat." 

Faith sighed. "What are you? My doctor?" 

He just looked at her. 

"Boz, can you do me a favor?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject. 

"What?" 

"Go to my apartment and bring me back some real clothes? And my toothbrush?" 

Bosco hesitated, frowning uncertainly.

"Please? I really want to take a shower when they take this I.V. out." 

He turned and glanced at Sully, who nodded slightly. "All right. I'll be back." 

"Thanks, Bosco," she said, wondering what silent message had just been communicated between her partner and Sully.

"No problem," he replied. Then he turned and left the room.

* * *

"Well, I should go. I told Mom I'd be back by 9," Kim said, glancing at her watch. She rolled her eyes. "I feel like a teenager again." She stood up. 

"I'll walk you to your car," Sully volunteered. 

Alex shot a look at Davis, who looked confused for a brief moment, then said, "I'll go with you." 

An expression of confusion also crossed Kim's face, but she shrugged it off. "Thanks." She turned to Faith. "Take care. And if you need anything, call me." 

"I will. Thanks, Kim," Faith said tiredly. 

"See you later." Kim left the rom, escorted by Sully and Davis.

Alex fidgeted nervously in her seat, then looked at Faith. "Uh...there's something I've been wanting to say since I got here, and I'm not really sure how to say it, but...I know that we don't really know each other very well, but..." She took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "The reason I transferred to the 55-precinct was because something happened where I used to work. One of the guys there was...harrassing me. He broke into my apartment a couple of times and...he didn't actually hurt me, but I was afraid he was going to. I know it's nothing like what happened to you, but I just wanted you to know that if you needed someone to talk to, I'm willing to listen." She stared down at the floor.

"Thanks." 

Alex looked up at met Faith's gaze. "You're welcome." 

"Does Davis know? About what happened to you?" 

Her eyes widened. "Davis? How did you--?" 

A trace of a smile appeared on Faith's face. "I saw the looks you were giving each other. It was kind of hard not to pick up on." 

Alex felt her cheeks flush. "We haven't really gone public yet." 

"You haven't told anyone?" 

"He told Sully. But that's it so far." She hesitated. "It's just all so new...I guess I'm kind of afraid that once everyone finds out..." 

"It'll all fall apart?"

She nodded, then felt guilty. "I'm really sorry." 

"For what?" 

"Dumping all this on you after everything you've been through." 

Faith shook her head. "Don't be sorry. It's nice to think about something other than..." Her voice trailed off as she glanced at the door. 

Alex turned and saw Bosco standing there with a couple of bags. "Well, I should head home." 

"You're going to wait for Sully and Davis to walk you out, right?" Faith asked, worry in her voice. 

She met her gaze. "Yeah, I will. See you later." 

"Bye." 

* * *

Bosco glanced at Faith. "So. Davis and Taylor, huh?" 

"You picked up on it, too?" 

"Nah. I overheard you two talking," he confessed with a shrug. He set the bags down on the rolling tray. He reached inside one of them and removed something.

"Is that--?" Faith asked, her eyes wide. 

He nodded and handed it to her. "I picked 'em up from that Mexican joint you like so well." 

She started to unwrap one of the burritos. 

"And I didn't really know what you wanted to wear, so I just grabbed a few things." Bosco shifted uncomfortably.

"What?" she asked, eyeing him uncertainly.

"I, uh. I was gonna get you some flowers or somethin', but uh...the gift shop was already closed." 

"Well, you brought me real food, so that's more important anyway." 

Bosco smiled, feeling relieved. He started to say sometihng when Sully appeared in the doorway.

"Taylor said you were back. Unless you guys need anything, I'm gonna head home." 

"Thanks for coming by," Faith told him.

"Sure thing." Sully glanced at Bosco.

"See you later. Thanks, Sullivan." 

He nodded, then disappeared.

Faith swallowed the bite of burrito she had in her mouth. "What was that about?" she asked curiously.

Bosco looked at her. "He just gave me some good advice earlier, that's all." 

She stared at him. "Since when do you take advice from anyone?" 

"Hey, I said he gave me good advice. I never said I was gonna take it. And I've taken advice from you before," he countered, sitting down in the chair next to her bed. 

She snorted. "Right. Like when?" 

"Lots of times," Bosco replied confidently. He searched his memory, but couldn't come up with a specific example right then.

Faith finished the burrito she'd been eating and crumpled the paper up. She sat up and reached for the bag of clothes he'd brought her. The grimace of pain she tried to hide wasn't lost on him. "I'm gonna go get a shower," she said, standing up.

He rose to his feet. "You don't want the other burrito?" 

"I'm really not that hungry, but...thank you. For everything." Faith met his eyes for a very brief moment, then looked away.

"Don't worry about it." 

She turned and walked slowly towards the bathroom, leaving Bosco to stare after her.

* * *

Faith emerged from the bathroom wearing sweatpants, a sweatshirt and wrapped in her white terrycloth robe. 

Bosco flipped off the televison show he'd only half been paying attention to and stood up. She made her way over and sat down on the bed. "You're shaking," he said, frowning. 

"Water was cold," she replied, her teeth chattering. 

"Yeah, well, you were in there for like an hour," Bosco said as he grabbed his NYPD jacket off the chair and draped it around her shoulders.

"Thanks." 

He hesitantly sat down next to her on the edge of the bed. "Faith--" 

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid visiting hours are over." 

Bosco turned his head to see a stern looking older woman in a nurse's uniform standing in the doorway. "I'm not leaving." 

"It's against hospital policy to--" 

"I don't give a damn about hospital policy. I'm not going anywhere," he retorted, quickly losing his patience. 

"Boz, it's okay. You should go home. Get some sleep." Her voice was tired, almost defeated. It only made him more determined.

He shook his head. "Forget it. I'm not leaving you here alone, all right?" He reached over and squeezed her hand. "I need to be here," Bosco added, his voice quiet. 

She finally turned and met his gaze, her brown eyes troubled. She nodded slowly. "Okay." 

He glanced at the nurse again. "I'm staying." 

The nurse pursed her lips and looked at him disapprovingly, but didn't push the issue any further. She turned and left the room.

"I don't think she likes you very much," Faith commented, a tired half-smile on her face. 

Bosco shrugged. "Not many people do. I'll get over it." 


	7. 

Title: No Mercy (7/?)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. 

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Author's Note: I'm not an expertise in the medical or legal fields. What knowledge I do have comes from: Lights and Sirens: A Writer's Guide to Emergency Rescue Professions by James and Lois Cowan, Police Procedure: A Writer's Guide to the Police and How They Work by Russell Bintliff, and years of watching E.R. and Third Watch. However, if everything isn't accurate, please don't flame me. 

Author's Note II: I seriously apologize for not having this out sooner. Between massive amounts of school work and several rewrites of the last few scenes in this part, it didn't get out nearly as early as I'd originally planned. I'll try to be more prompt with the next part. ;)

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

* * *

No Mercy (Part Seven)

"Well, everything looks good." Dr. Brown smiled at Faith, then glanced at Bosco. "I'll start on the paperwork so you can get out of this place." 

"Thank you," Faith said quietly.

"You're welcome. I'll give you a few minutes to get dressed and then I'll send one of the nurses in to go over your home care instructions." He made eye contact with Bosco, who looked at Faith.

"I'll be out in the hall." 

Faith just nodded as they left the room.

"Are you sure it's not too soon to release her?" Bosco questioned.

"She's not suffering from any after-effects of the concussion now. There's no reason for her to stay another day." Dr. Brown studied him for a moment. "To be honest with you, I'm more concerned about her mental and emotional well-being at this point." 

"What do you mean?" 

"The attack took place in her home, correct?" 

"Yeah..." 

"I don't think it's such a good idea for Faith to return to the place where she was traumatized this soon after the attack." 

Bosco frowned. "I hadn't thought of that." 

Dr. Brown nodded in understanding. "I don't usually get personally involved in cases, but...my sister was raped a few years ago, so unfortunately I know a bit about it." He paused. "Is there somewhere else she can stay?" 

"Yeah. Yeah, there is," he answered, his voice quiet. "But she's not gonna like it." 

* * *

"And here's the written list of preventative steps," the nurse, Susan, told Faith as she handed her a sheet of paper about the things she could do to help maintain her blood platelet levels and avoid possible accidents. 

"Thanks." Faith glanced down at it as she sat in the wheelchair. 

"No work for at least a week. Don't try lifting anything over ten pounds or you'll be risking further injury to your ribs. If you have any dizzy spells, or black outs at all, call or have someone drive you back here to the hospital. Any questions?" 

"No, I think that covers it." 

"Ready to go?" Bosco asked, his eyes on her. 

Faith nodded. 

"I'll go get the car." 

Susan wheeled her down the hospital corridor, Bosco a few steps ahead of them, carrying the bag of her clothes and personal items. 

She drew curious glances and stares from passerbys, and she shifted uncomfortably and tried her best to ignore them as well as the pain in her ribs that the movement caused. She was relieved when they finally made it outside and Bosco's car pulled up to the curb. 

Faith carefully pushed herself to her feet just as Bosco came around and opened the passenger side door. She turned to glance at Susan. "Thanks." 

"You're welcome. Don't come back, okay?" 

She half-smiled. "Believe me, I won't if I don't have to." 

Susan smiled back and then turned and wheeled the chair back inside the hospital. 

Faith took a deep breath and walked slowly to her partner's blue Mustang. She eased herself down into the seat, grimacing. Then she glanced at Bosco, who had a concerned expression on his face. "I'm okay," she assured him.

He frowned briefly and closed the door. He slid into the driver's seat as she was fastening her seat belt. She leaned her head against the headrest as Bosco shifted the car into drive.

Faith felt dread churning in her stomach, but couldn't determine the cause of it. She stared out the window and tried to focus on breathing in order to stay calm. After a few moments, it occurred to her that they weren't headed towards her apartment. She glanced over at Bosco, frowning. "Where are we going?" 

He kept his eyes on the road. "Oh. I forgot to tell you. Detective Masters told me that they were still searching your place for evidence, so you're going to stay with me for awhile." Bosco glanced at her for a brief second. "Unless there's somewhere else you'd rather go." 

Her frown deepened. "They're still collecting evidence?" 

"Apparently." He hesitated. "So is my place okay, or--?" 

Faith bit her lower lip. "Look, Bosco....you don't have to...I don't want to be a bother. I'll just go to a hotel or something." 

"It's not a problem." 

"I don't want to cramp your style." 

Bosco shook his head. "You won't be." 

"Are you sure?" 

He turned his head and glanced at her again. "Positive." 

She met his eyes for a second. "Okay." 

Bosco turned his attention back to driving. "Okay," he repeated. 

Faith felt some of the tension fade away and a hint of relief took its place. Maybe it was because she and Bosco had been partners for so long, because they'd been through so much together--dangerous, life-threatening situaions--and had always come through alive and emerged together, but she felt safe and secure with him. No one was going to bother her while he was around.

It wasn't like she usually thought she needed him--or any other guy--to protect her. It was just how Bosco was. Some people considered him to be a real jerk--and she herself had called him a few choice names in the past and most of the time they were well-deserved. He *could* be a real jerk sometimes. But when Bosco cared about someone, he tended to be fiercely protective of them. That list of people was fairly short because very few tended to try and see past his attitude and short temper, but Faith knew she was included on it, and she felt honored to be there. 

And knowing that she was, at that moment, gave her frazzled nerves some much-needed reassurance. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. 

Everything's going to be just fine, she told herself.

* * *

Bosco hated lying.

Especially to Faith, because they'd been partners--friends--for so long and she deserved the truth. But when she'd asked where they were going, he knew she'd insist on going back to her and Fred's apartment if he didn't come up with a reason why she couldn't. She wouldn't come willingly to his place if she could go to her own because she wouldn't want to burden him. He knew her and that's just how she was. 

So he'd lied. To protect her, both from possible physical danger and from more emotional upset. 

Not that she was showing much emotion anyway. He wasn't sure if she was still in somewhat of a shocked state, or if she was just hiding her feelings, or maybe even a little of both. 

Bosco pulled into a parking space across from his apartment building and shut his car off. He quickly took off his seatbelt and climbed out of the car, grabbing Faith's bag from the backseat. He hurried around to the passenger side and opened the door, extending his hand to help her out. 

Faith stared up at him, her face the picture of surprise. She hesitated a moment, then slid her hand into his. He remained motionless, letting her pull herself out of the Mustang with his arm for support, afraid he'd hurt her if he pulled on her. 

Bosco lead her into his building and up to his apartment, where he unlocked the door and stepped inside. He flipped the lights on and was relieved to see he hadn't left his place in a mess. Then he rolled his eyes and wondered why he cared. It was just Faith, not some chick he was trying to impress. 

"Welcome to my humble abode," Bosco said as he set her bag down on the floor. 

"Thanks," she murmured, glancing around. 

"Make yourself at home. Do you want something to drink? I've got juice, soda--" He opened the door to his refridgerator and then frowned. "Actually, that's it." Other than that, the fridge was nearly empty. He usually ate out.

"No, I don't want anything, except..." She hesitated for a moment and wouldn't look at him.

"What?" 

"Do you mind if...I use your shower?" 

Bosco closed the fridge and looked at her. "No, go ahead. The towels are in the closet." 

"Thanks." She turned and disappeared down the hallway. 

He saw the door close a moment later. Before he had the chance to do anything, his telephone rang. He quickly grabbed it. "Hello?" 

"Is this Officer Boscorelli?" 

"Yeah, who's this?" 

"Detective Masters. I got this number from Captain Stick. You said you wanted to be updated with any new developments on your partner's case." 

Bosco straightened. "Yeah. What've you got?" 

"Well, it's not good news, I'm afraid. The results from the evidence we removed from her apartment are back from the crime lab. Other than traces of semen in the living room carpet, all the samples belong to Officer Yokas. The blood was a match from the tests the doctors ran at the hospital, as well as the hair samples that were collected both in her apartment and during the rape kit exam." 

"What about the caller?" he asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"We traced the number to an elderly woman in apartment B214. Flannigan went to talk to her, but she refused to answer any questions." 

Bosco frowned. "B214...is that Mrs. Coleman?" 

"Yeah. Adele Coleman. You know her?" 

"Sort of." 

"Any chance she'd talk to you?" 

"Maybe, yeah."

"I know that you're not supposed to officially be involved on this case, but any help you can offer--" 

"I'll do it," Bosco interuppted. 

"Good. We could really use a break on this case." There was a long pause. "There's been another one." 

"What?" 

"One of the previous victims was attacked again last night. She's in the hospital listed in critical condition. He assaulted her, then repeatedly struck her in the head with a blunt object. She has a pretty serious skull fracture." 

"Jesus." Bosco leaned his head on one hand. 

"There was something different about this victim." Bosco could hear the hesitancy in the detective's voice. 

"What?" 

"She's a brown belt in tae kwan do. She's one of the only two victims who tried to physically fight back and not just resist. The other one is--" 

"Faith," he finished, his jaw clenching.

"And since she saw his face, it's even more of a possibility that--" 

"--he'll come after her again." 

"We're putting her building under survelliance. A plain clothes officer will be on the property around the clock." Detective Masters paused again. "I stopped by the hospital this morning but the nurse said Officer Yokas had been released. Is she at home?" 

"No. She's staying with me for awhile." 

"That's probably a wise decision. How is she?" 

Bosco's gaze traveled down the hallway and focused on the closed bathroom door from where he could hear water running on the other side. "I wish I knew." 

* * *

Faith emerged from Bosco's bathroom awhile later, her hair still damp from the shower. The water had been hot and it had stung, but hot water got rid of dirt better. Between that and furiously scrubbing at her skin with a full bar of soap until it was whittled down to a small sliver, she'd hoped she'd get rid of the unclean feeling she had. It had helped some, but she knew she hadn't gotten rid of all the dirt. 

After awhile the water had started to turn tepid and she'd given up for the time being. She'd pulled on the other pair of sweats that Bosco had brought from the hospital for her. She threw her dirty towel in the laundry hamper, finding herself somewhat surprised by the fact that Bosco *had* a laundry hamper. She shook her head and opened the door, freezing when she heard voices from the kitchen. 

She relaxed when she realized she recognized the voices. She took a deep breath and stepped out of the bathroom. She walked down the hallway silently and paused in the entryway to the kitchen where Bosco was standing faced away from her, his voice low and serious as he talked to Sully.

Sully was silent, shaking his head slightly at whatever Bosco was saying, his eyes staring down at the tile floor. 

"Boz?" 

Bosco turned around to see her. He had a guilty look on his face. "Hey. Sully dropped by to see how you were." 

Faith managed to smile at her colleague. "Hey, Sully." 

"Hey. How are you feeling?" 

"Better. Thanks." 

There was a moment of silence and she had the distinct feeling that she was the cause of that silence. They'd been talking about her. 

"So, Bosco, why don't you go run those errands you said you needed to run?" Sully suggested. 

"Right." 

Faith looked at him. "Errands?" 

"Yeah, I need to get some stuff from the store. Groceries and stuff," Bosco said vaguely. "Sully's going to keep you company til I get back." He grabbed his NYPD jacket off the rack, then paused on his way to the door and glanced back at her. "I won't be long." 

A frown settled on her lips. "Okay. Be careful." 

"I will." He turned and left. 

Faith stared after him, wondering what was really going on.

* * *

Bosco stood on the doorstep of apartment B214. He reached up and knocked on the door. A moment later, an elderly woman with a frown on her face opened the door a crack, the chain lock still in place. "Whaddya want?" 

"I'm Maurice Boscorelli, Mrs. Coleman." 

Her frown deepened for a moment, then faded. "I remember you. You're the nice man that fixed my car." 

Bosco felt relieved that she had remembered and he nodded. "That's right. I need to talk to you about something important, Mrs. Coleman. May I come in?" 

She closed the door, removed the chain lock, then held the door open for him. 

"Thanks." He stepped inside the apartment and turned to face her. 

"Can I get you something to drink? Some coffee or tea?" 

"No thanks." He took a deep breath. "I'm here because yesterday morning a friend of mine was attacked. She lives in the apartment next door to you. Faith Yokas." 

Mrs. Coleman looked surprised. "You know Faith?" 

"Yeah. You know she's a cop, right?" 

She nodded, a slight frown on her face. 

"Well, so am I. We work together. She's my partner." Bosco studied her for a moment. "You know that day I fixed your car? I was on my way to pick her up for work." 

"I see." 

"I want to thank you. I know you're the one who called for help. If you hadn't, she probably would have died." 

"Well, I didn't realize at the time it was so serious. Is she going to be all right?" 

"I think so, yeah. At least physically." Bosco took another deep breath. "Mrs. Coleman, I really need your help." 

"What can I do?" 

He was a bit surprised by her immediate cooperation. 

She noticed. "I didn't like the man that came here before. He was rude and pushy." She perched on the edge of her sofa. "You I like. What can I do?" 

Bosco sat down on the armoir across from her. "Tell me everything you can about what happened yesterday morning." 

Mrs. Coleman nodded. "I was reading. It was about 2:45 a.m. I'm a bit of an insomniac, you see. Have been ever since Bill died...anyway, I was about to get up and fix myself some hot cocoa when I heard a noise from next door. I heard some shouting. At first I thought it was just her and her husband fighting again. They do that a lot, you know. But not generally at late hours. And then I heard things breaking...and it sounded like someone was thrown into a wall or something. I called next door, but when I didn't get any answer, I dialed 911. I was afraid he had hurt her." 

"Fred?" 

She nodded. "I don't know him well, but I don't like him. Anyway, after I called the police, I watched out the peep hole in my door. A few minutes later a man left Faith's apartment and I saw it wasn't her husband." 

"You saw him?" He felt a rush of hope.

"Just well enough to see it wasn't Fred. He was taller--a big guy. And he had dark hair." 

"Was he white?" 

"Yes." 

"Anything else you can remember?" 

Mrs. Coleman shook her head. "The paramedics and the police showed up a few minutes later. I'm sure you know the rest." 

Bosco nodded and stood up. "Thanks for your help, Mrs. Coleman." 

"You're welcome. How is Faith doing?" 

"She's..." He faltered, not sure how to answer her. He just shook her head. 

"Well, if she needs anything, have her call me." 

"I'll do that," Bosco agreed, nodding at her. "Thanks again." He left her apartment, closing the door behind him. He paused outside B212 and swallowed hard, his mind flashing to the blood stain in the middle of the living room carpent beyond the door. 

He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, then walked away.

* * *

Bosco unlocked the door to his apartment and pushed it open, carrying two sacks of groceries inside. He set them on the counter in the kitchen. "Sorry I took so long. Lines at the grocery store were hell," he told Faith and Sully, who were both seated in his living room. 

"That's all right. But I should be heading home. Tatiana's expecting me." Sully stood up. "Take care, Faith. See you later." 

"Sure. Thanks, Sully." Faith remained seated on the couch, looking out the window. 

Sully walked over to Bosco. "She knows something's up. She's been asking a lot of questions," he said quietly. 

Bosco scratched his head and sighed. "Thanks for the head's up. See you later, Sullivan." 

"Yep." Sully let himself out of the apartment. 

Bosco walked back into the kitchen and began unpacking all the groceries and putting the perishables in the refridgerator. After a few moments, he became aware of Faith's presence behind him. He turned to see her leaning against the kitchen counter, staring at him. 

"Boz." Her voice was quiet, serious. 

"Yeah?" 

"What's going on?" 

"What do you mean?" he asked, trying to act casual. 

None to his surprise, she didn't buy into it. She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes. "I mean, something's going on and I want to know what it is." 

Their eyes met and Bosco sighed. "All right. Let's go sit down." He followed her into the living room. 

Faith sat down on the sofa and he sat down next to her. For a long moment they were both silent. 

"Where were you really?" 

"I went to see Mrs. Coleman," he said truthfully.

"Mrs. Coleman?" she repeated. 

"Yeah. Detective Masters called me. Said she was the one who called the police yesterday morning. She wouldn't talk to them. So I went to see her to find out what she knew." 

"And did you?" 

He nodded. "She saw the guy through the peep hole on her door. Said he was big. Dark hair, caucasion. After I talked to her, I went to talk to Masters at the station to tel him what she said. Then I picked up some groceries and came back here." 

She was silent for a moment. "And Sully just happened to drop by?" 

Bosco looked away. "No. I called him." 

"Why?" 

"Faith--" 

"Bosco. Tell me why." 

"Because I think you may still be in danger, that's why." He stood up, walked over to the window and looked out. "One of the other victims was attacked again last night. Same guy." Bosco turned to face her. 

Her eyes were cloudy with confusion. "Is she--" 

"In the hospital. In critical condition." He felt his anger, fear and frustration flood through his veins. "That's why I called Sully. Because I'm not letting this bastard get anywhere near you again. Ever," he said, his voice much harsher than he'd intended it to be. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. 

She stared at him, stunned by the intensity behind his words. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, unsure of what to say. So she simply nodded instead of speaking. 

Bosco took another deep breath to calm himself, then sat down next to her on the sofa again. "All right. I told you the truth. Now I need to ask you something." 

Faith swallowed hard, wondering what he was about to say. Had he somehow found out about her cancer? Was that what he was about to ask her? Whatever it was, it was taking all his resolve to ask. She could feel the tension rolling off him in waves. She waited nervously.

"Has Fred..." Bosco clenched his jaw and wouldn't look at her. "Has he ever hurt you?" 

Her eyes widened. "What?" 

"Has he ever hurt you? Physically, I mean." 

"No, of course not." Faith shook her head, totally confused by the question and what had made him think to ask it. 

He nodded slowly, feeling relieved. 

"What made you--?" 

"Mrs. Coleman...said that she heard you two fighting a lot. Yelling...I just wanted to make sure." 

"Feel better?" 

Bosco glanced at her sideways. "Yeah." He looked away again. "So where is he?" he asked quietly. 

She felt tears sting her eyes and she blinked furiously to keep them from falling. "He left. We had a fight. He took the kids and went to stay with his parents." She looked down at her hands. 

He was silent for a moment. "Maybe you should call him. Let him know what's happened." 

She immediately shook her head in refusal. "No." 

"Faith, he's your husband. He should be here to support you." 

"I can't deal with him right now, Bosco." 

"But--" 

"You don't know him, all right? If I called him and told him what happened, he'd be here in a minute, but..." 

"But what?" 

"Fred doesn't handle this kind of thing well, okay? I don't think he could deal with it. And I can't...I can't deal with him and this, too right now, Boz...I just...can't." She looked away from him, her ribs aching with the pain of fighting to hold in the sobs she felt building. She would not cry. She wouldn't do it. 

"Okay," Bosco said quietly. "So then it's just you and me. All right? How 'bout some coffee?" 

Faith nodded slightly. "That'd be nice." 

End Part 7


	8. 

Title: No Mercy (8/?)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. 

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Author's Note: I'm not an expertise in the medical or legal fields. What knowledge I do have comes from: Lights and Sirens: A Writer's Guide to Emergency Rescue Professions by James and Lois Cowan, Police Procedure: A Writer's Guide to the Police and How They Work by Russell Bintliff, and years of watching E.R. and Third Watch. However, if everything isn't accurate, please don't flame me. 

Author's Note II: Sorry it took so long for this part to come out...school-wise, this has been the week from hell.

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

* * *

No Mercy (Part 8)

Bosco sipped a cup of coffee as he read the morning newspaper. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. Then he set his mug down, stood up, and walked back to his bedroom.

Faith was still asleep.

He turned and walked back to the living room after checking on her. He had insisted that she take his bed because of her injuries. She had tried to insist that the couch would be fine. Finally he had told her, fine, she could have the couch, but he wasn't sleeping in the bed. He'd further illustrated his point by pulling out a blanket and sprawling out on the living room floor. She'd grumbled something about him being stubborn and turned and went to sleep in the bed. 

Bosco smiled at the memory. He sat down on the couch again and reached for the newspaper, pausing as a piece of paper caught his eye. He picked it up and read the heading.

"At Home Care Instructions."

There was a brief description of 'Thrombocytopenia,' or low platelet levels. Under that were several tips on how to minimize the risks of bleeding, and other general precautions. After that there were several suggestions on how Faith should adjust her diet to help maintain her platelet levels. 

He read over the entire sheet twice, then glanced back towards his bedroom. He sat back on his couch, frowning.

* * *

Faith snuggled deeper under the covers as she heard her mother's voice calling, "Faith! Time to get up! You're gonna be late for school!" 

"Five more minutes," she mumbled.

"Faith!" her mother called again.

She groaned and started to pull the blankets over her head when she caught a familiar scent permeating the air. Eggs. Eggs and bacon.

Her stomach growled. With effort, she opened her eyes and squinted at the bedside clock. The glowing red digits read 10:45.

She sat straight up in bed, alarmed. She was late!

She was halfway out of bed by the time she realized that it had just been a dream. She wasn't in her childhood home, and she certainly wasn't late for school. She looked around the unfamiliar room, confused. 

Bosco's. She was at Bosco's apartment.

Faith shook her head, marvelling at how vivid that dream had been. Even now she could smell the eggs and bacon her mother had been fixing. She yawned and stretched her arms over her head, temporarily forgetting about her broken ribs.

A small cry escaped her lips before she could suppress it, and she sat down hard on the edge of her partner's bed, her hand covering her side. She focused her mind on breathing in an attempt to get past the pain. After a few moments, the throbbing sensation began to subside. She closed her eyes and stood up slowly and carefully.

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand to get rid of the tears the pain had caused. Then she made her way down the hallway. 

Faith began to wonder if she was delusional as the scent of bacon and eggs grew stronger. When she reached the end of the hallway, the sight before her made her freeze.

Bosco was in the kitchen.

Cooking.

Her mouth dropped open. She shook her head slowly. I must still be dreaming, she thought.

A second later, he turned and saw her standing there. "You're up. Good. How do you like your eggs?" 

She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

Bosco was cooking breakfast.

*Bosco* was *cooking.*

What's wrong with this picture? she wondered. 

"Faith?" 

She blinked a few times. "Uh...scrambled." 

"Scrambled eggs it is." Bosco turned his attention back to the food.

Faith walked into the kitchen and watched as he beat the eggs in a bowl, then poured them into a pan on the stove and added a dash of milk. "This is very surreal," she commented, leaning against the counter. 

"What is?" 

"You...cooking," she replied, motioning to the pan.

"Hey, I happen to be a good cook, thank you," he said defensively.

"I never would have guessed." 

"Well, it's not like I do it all that often." Bosco shrugged and threw away the egg shells. "But that paper said you should eat plenty of protein, so I figured eggs counted." 

Faith's gaze traveled to the sheet of at-home care instructions that were lying on the counter top. Then her gaze moved back to her partner. A rush of tears filled her eyes. He was being so kind to her--letting her stay at his place, insisting she take his bed, and now fixing her breakfast. She had the sudden impulse to hug him.

No matter what anyone said about him, Maurice Boscorelli had a heart of gold. 

Bosco scraped the eggs out of the pan and poured them onto a plate. Then he removed the bacon he'd fried in the microwave and added it to the plate, too. Then he handed the plate to her. "Do you want milk or orange juice?" 

"Milk. Thanks." She sat down at the table and frowned. "Aren't you eating?" 

"Already did," he informed her as he sat down at the table across from her.

Faith took a bite of the scrambled eggs and looked at him. "These are really good." 

He shrugged. "Told ya." 

Within minutes, she'd finished off everything on her plate and was startled to realize how hungry she'd been.

The telephone rang and Bosco stood up and walked into the kitchen to answer it. Faith drank the rest of milk and leaned back in her chair. 

Bosco stepped back into the room a moment later, his hand cupped over the mouthpiece of the telephone. "Faith?" 

She looked up and met his eyes.

"It's Detective Masters. He wants to know if we can meet him someplace. He has some follow-up questions he wants to ask you, and they've got a sketch from the descriptions you and Mrs. Coleman gave that he wants you to take a look at." 

Faith swallowed hard, a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. "Tell him yes." 

"You sure?" The concern in Bosco's eyes was clear.

"Yeah," she said, though she wasn't really.

Bosco nodded, then spoke into the phone. "We'll be there." 

* * *

Bosco glanced around the Sunrise Cafe. "I don't think they're here, yet," he told Faith.

She looked around, as well. "I don't think so, either." She zipped her coat up and moved closer to him as she stepped out of the way of two guys headed for the door.

The second guy paused and looked at Faith for a moment, his eyes lingering on the bruises on her forehead. He looked like he was contemplating saying something to her.

Bosco felt her tense up next to him and he glared at the guy, silently warning him to back the hell off. 

The guy frowned and left the cafe without a word.

"Maybe we should get a table," Faith suggested, her voice steady despite the fact that he could sense her anxiety. 

"Yeah." Bosco rested his hand lightly on her shoulder and guided her to a table. "Booth okay?" 

"It's fine." Faith slid into the seat and he slid in next to her. 

"Can I get you something to drink?" a pretty blond waitress asked.

Bosco glanced at his partner. "You want some coffee or something?" 

"No, I'm good." 

"One cup of coffee, black," Bosco told the waitress.

"Coming right up."

The bell on the front door of the cafe tinkled and they both looked toward it. Detective Masters and Detective Flannigan walked in.

"Oh, great. He brought the moron," Bosco muttered as he motioned the two over to the table.

"Officer Boscorelli, Officer Yokas," Detective Masters greeted them. He sat down directly across from Faith, and Flannigan sat across from Bosco. "How are you feeling, Officer Yokas?" 

"I'm fine, thanks. And--it's Faith." 

Detective Masters nodded. "Okay, Faith." 

"Here's your coffee." The waitress returned to their booth and set a mug in front of Bosco. She smiled at him. "Can I get you something else?" 

He glanced at her briefly. "No thanks." 

"Can I get you boys anything?" she asked the detectives.

Flannigan flashed a smile at her. "Cup of coffee, two sugars." 

She jotted down the order. 

"Nothing for me, thanks," Masters said.

"Okay." The waitress turned and walked off.

Masters looked at Faith and removed his notebook from his jacket pocket. "Faith, I'd like you to tell us again everything that you can remember. Just in case there's some detail that pops into your mind that you couldn't recall last time." 

Bosco felt his body tense. He wasn't sure he could sit there and listen to her go through all the details again.

"Okay," she answered, her voice quiet. She took a deep breath and began to recount the facts.

After a moment, he turned his head to look at her, amazed her ability to control her emotions. He was tense and upset and having difficulty not showing it. How could she be so calm? 

When he thought about it, Faith had always been the stronger of the two of them. She was always--or at least, almost always--calm, controlled, level-headed, smart. She always held everything and everyone around her together, including him. 

He blinked when he realized that she had finished speaking and Detective Masters was asking her questions. He forced his mind to focus on what was being said. 

"We just want you to take a look at this sketch." Masters pulled the sketch out of his briefcase and slid it across the table to Faith.

Bosco looked at it, then at her. Her eyebrows were knitted together as she studied the picture, biting her lower lip. After a moment, she looked at him, disappointment in her eyes. "I don't recognize this guy. It's not him." Faith slid the photo back to Detective Masters.

"Why don't you take another look?" Flannigan suggested disgustedly.

"She said it wasn't him," Bosco said sharply.

Flannigan glared at him. "Do you even care if this bastard is caught?" 

"Did you really have to bring this dumbass?" Bosco asked Masters, hitching his thumb towards Flannigan.

"You watch your fuckin' mouth!" Flannigan said angrily, leaning forward.

"Hey, hey, hey. Everyone calm down," Masters interrupted. 

"There a reason he's here, anyway? Don't you have a husband?" Flannigan demanded, looking at Faith.

Bosco started to rise up out of his seat, but he felt a hand grip his arm. He looked over at Faith.

"Boz, don't," she commanded, her voice soft.

He considered arguing with her, knowing he could list at least a dozen reasons he should pummel the guy sitting across from him, but the look on her face stopped him. He relaxed as best he could and settled for glaring at Flannigan.

Faith took the sketch again and stared at it for a long time. Then she sighed. "It's not him. I'm sorry." 

Masters nodded and slid the sketch back into his briefcase. 

"Was there anything else you needed to ask me?" 

Bosco could hear a hint of weariness in her voice. 

"No. That will do it, Faith. Thanks for meeting with us." Masters offered her a smile.

She nodded. "I need to go to the bathroom before we leave." 

Bosco got up and let her out of the booth. He glared once more at Flannigan, then went to pay for his coffee.

* * *

"Why do you do that?" Masters asked his partner after Faith had excused herself to the restroom and Bosco had gone to pay for his coffee. 

"Do what?" Flannigan asked. 

"Provoke the guy." 

He rolled his eyes. "He just gets on my nerves." 

"Well, you're not helping the situation by hassling him," Masters pointed out.

"Whatever." He rubbed his chin. "We're not gonna catch this guy." 

"Don't say that." 

"Come on. We have nothing to go on. The only one who's seen the lowlife's face can't remember what he looks like." Flannigan leaned back against his seat. "What the hell kind of cop leaves her keys in the front door, anyway?" 

"Don't blame the victim, Flannigan," Masters said, his usually calm voice turning harsh.

"I'm just saying. She was asking for trouble." 

Masters shook his head, disgusted. "You can be a real ass sometimes, you know that?" He stood up and headed for the door. 

Flannigan threw some money down on the table and then followed him.

Neither one of them noticed Faith standing a few feet away, frozen in place.

* * *

"I think I'm gonna go to bed." 

Bosco glanced at Faith, and then at the clock on the wall, surprised. "Now?" It was only 6:30.

She nodded slightly. "Is that all right?" she asked, hesitation in her voice. 

"Yeah, sure. You feelin' okay?" 

"I'm fine. Just a little tired." 

"All right." He watched as she disappeared down the hallway, then returned a moment later. 

"Boz?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Do you mind if...I take a shower first?" 

"No, go ahead." 

She hesitated for another moment. 

Bosco leaned forward on the sofa, growing more concerned. "Faith?" 

"I'm out of clean clothes." 

"Oh." He stood up and walked to his bedroom. He removed a t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants from his closet. "You can borrow these. I'll stop by your place tomorrow when I'm on break and bring you back some more of your own." 

"Thanks, Bosco." Faith took the clothes from him, then disappeared into the bathroom.

Bosco took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to release some of the tension from the past few days. He was surprised when there was a knock at his front door. Frowning, he walked out and opened it. 

Doc stood before him, a small boquet of white flowers in his hands. 

"Doc, you shouldn't have," he said dryly.

"I didn't. They're not for you." 

"Obviously." 

"I...uh...I heard Faith was staying with you for awhile." 

Bosco nodded and held the door open for him. 

Doc stepped inside. "I would've come sooner, but I've been working a lot of doubles. Tomorrow's the first day off I'll have had in two weeks." He glanced around.

"She's taking a shower. Says she's going to bed afterwards." 

Doc frowned. "How's she doing?" 

"She's been quiet all day. Hasn't said much." He shrugged. 

Doc handed him the flowers. "Where's Fred in all this, anyway?" 

"Oh, he and the kids are out of town for awhile. Some kind of family thing," Bosco answered smoothly, filling up a large glass with water and placing the flowers in it. 

"Does he even know?" 

"Uh, no. No, we don't have a way to get a hold of him right now." 

Doc shook his head. "Man. How's Faith taking that?" 

He paused, then decided to dodge the question. "You want something to drink?" 

"No thanks. I'm not gonna stay. I just wanted to drop those by and see how she was." 

"I'll let her know you stopped by." 

"Thanks." Doc headed for the door.

"Hey, Doc?" 

"Yeah?" 

"You say you had tomorrow off?" 

"Yeah, why?" 

"I have to go back to work tomorrow, and I don't really want her to stay here alone after everything that's happened..." 

Doc nodded in understanding. "What time should I come over?" 

"Around one." 

"I'll be here." 

"Thanks, man." 

"Sure." 

* * *

*

"You don't want to do this!" 

"Oh, yes, I do. And you want me to. You know you do." 

*

Faith sat up, gasping for breath, then smothering a cry as pain shot through her ribs. Her heart thudded rapidly against her chest as her eyes darted around the dark room until finally focusing in on the clock next to the bed. 11:21 p.m. 

She swallowed hard, trying to calm herself down. Tears sprung to her eyes and she quickly blinked them back. She shoved the blankets off her and swung her legs off the bed. She quietly walked out of the room, down the hallway and into the living room. 

Bosco was sitting on the sofa in the dark, watching something on televison. He caught sight of her standing there. "Hey, you okay?" 

She nodded. "Yeah, I just...couldn't sleep," she lied, running one hand through her hair. 

"You wanna watch some tv?" 

"That'd be good," she agreed, walking over and sitting down next to him. "What are you watching?" 

"Crocodile Hunter." Bosco glanced at her briefly, then nodded towards the screen. "He's one crazy man." 

She relaxed and even managed a smile. "Now if that's not the pot calling the kettle black..." 

"Hey, watch it," he said, pretending to take offense. 

Faith laid her head back against the couch. She yawned and blinked a few times, trying to stay awake. But as the moments ticked by, her eyelids drooped and she drifted off to sleep again. 

"Look at him. He's picking up a spitting cobra." When he didn't get a response, Bosco looked over at her. She had fallen asleep, her head resting on the back of the sofa. Her strawberry-blond hair was still damp from the shower she'd taken earlier, and her face was pale. She looked so...vulnerable. Bosco felt an intense wave of protectiveness wash over him. He swallowed hard, then clicked the television off with the remote. He grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and covered her up with it. 

He thought briefly of going to his room to sleep, but he couldn't convince himself to leave her side. Instead, he propped his feet up on his coffee table and laid his head back. He listened to the steady sound of her breathing until he fell asleep, as well.


	9. 

Title: No Mercy (9/?)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. 

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Author's Note: This part is kinda short. It's probably the only part that will be this short.

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

* * *

No Mercy (Part 9)

"Heard you stayed with Yokas yesterday," Jimmy Dohrety said to Doc as he changed into his street clothes after the shift. 

"Yep." Doc nodded in confirmation as he sat down on the edge of one of the beds to ties his shoelaces.

"How's she doing?" 

The older man looked at him. "Honestly? She seems okay. I don't know if it's just an act she's putting on or not." 

"Yeah, it's hard to tell sometimes," Jimmy said quietly, his gaze traveling across the room to where Kim stood, rummaging through her locker. 

Doc followed his eyes, then looked at Jimmy again. "She's okay, Jimmy." 

He met Doc's gaze, then nodded slightly.

"Hey, Doc, can I catch a ride to my mom's?" Kim asked.

"Sure," he agreed. 

She looked at Jimmy for a second, then back at Doc. "Thanks." 

Doc stood up. "No problem," he said as he followed her out the door. "See ya." 

"See ya," Jimmy echoed, staring after them.

* * *

Bosco quietly unlocked the front door to his apartment and walked inside. 

Davis and Alex were curled up together on the couch in front of a television they were *not* watching. 

He averted his eyes and cleared his throat loudly.

The couple broke apart, startled. 

"Oh, hey, Bosco. You're back," Davis said quickly, standing up. 

Alex ran a hand through her hair, her cheeks flushed. "We were just...uh..." 

He held up his hands. "You know what? I don't need to know." 

Davis and Alex exchanged an embarrassed look. 

"How's Faith?" 

"She went to bed a couple hours ago," Alex told him.

"Thanks for staying," Bosco said. 

"It's not a problem. See you at work tomorrow?" Davis asked. 

He nodded. "See ya." He watched as they let themselves out the front door. Then he yawned, shook his head and walked back to the bedroom quietly so he didn't wake Faith. He stood in the doorway, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness before proceeding into the room. He silently opened his closet door and pulled out some clean clothes for after his shower. 

"How was work?" 

The unexpected sound of her voice startled him. "I thought you were asleep."

She sat up, peering at him in the darkness. "I didn't want them to feel like they had to entertain me." 

Bosco moved over and sat down next to her on the edge of the bed. "I've never been so bored in my entire life. Gusler wouldn't shut up the whole damned day. He kept askin' me all these questions about procedures he apparently forgot from the academy. And I didn't think we were ever gonna get all the paperwork done. I swear, if they stick him with me one more day, I'm gonna go nuts." 

"Well, I don't think you're gonna have to worry about that after today." 

"You know somethin' I don't?" he asked, confused. 

"I'm going back to work tomorrow." 

"What?" Bosco reached over and flipped on the lamp. 

Faith squinted and raised her hand up to shield her eyes from the sudden brightness. "What are you trying to do, Bosco? Blind me?" she complained. 

"Sorry." He clicked the light down to the dimmer setting. "Now what do you mean you're coming back to work tomorrow?" 

"It's kind of self-explanatory," she answered wryly. 

"It's too soon." 

"I feel okay." 

"The doctor said to wait at least a week," he argued. 

"Bosco, it's been six days. Close enough." 

"I think it's a bad idea," he said, shaking his head. 

"Look, your apartment's nice and everything, and I appreciate you letting me stay here, but I haven't left since I got here and if I have to stay here one more day, I'm gonna jump out the window." 

"Faith--" 

"It's not your choice, Boz," Faith said quietly, looking away. 

Bosco stared at her for a moment. "If the situation was reversed, you'd be upset with me." 

"And you'd still do what you wanted to do, regardless," she said sharply. "Just like you *always* do." 

He winced. She had him there. "All right. What about a compromise?" 

She raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think that word was in your vocabulary." 

Bosco ignored the comment. "You come back tomorrow, and we lay low for a few days. Only take the easy calls." 

Faith snorted. "If you think about it, I'm not the one who has a problem doing that, Boz," she reminded him with a pointed look. 

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "All right. Then it's a deal?" 

She nodded. "Deal." 


	10. 

Title: No Mercy (10/?)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. 

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Author's Note: This part is somewhat lighter than other parts have been. And it's probably going to be the last light part for awhile. Things are about to get dark, guys. So enjoy the lightheartedness of this part.

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

* * *

No Mercy (Part 10)

"Hey, Bosco," Davis said as Boz stepped into the locker room.

"Hey," he said back, walking over to his locker.

"How's Faith doing?" Sully asked, glancing up from where he was sitting on the bench tying his shoelaces.

"She's okay." He looked over his shoulder to the door. 

"Who's staying with her today?" Davis questioned.

"Actually--" 

"Hey, guys." 

Sully and Davis both turned around to see Faith. They exchanged a look of surprise. 

"Hey. What did Lt. Stick have to say?" Bosco asked as he stuffed his bag into his locker.

"He said welcome back," Faith answered. She glanced briefly at Sully and Davis before moving around them to head to her locker. 

"You're here to work?" Sully asked, looking at Bosco with a frown.

"Yep." 

There was a moment of brief silence. 

"Well, welcome back," Davis said, closing his locker door. 

"Yeah, welcome back," Sully echoed. 

"Thanks, guys," she said, nodding and avoiding their gazes as she unzipped her jacket. 

"See you in role call," Davis said as he and Sully left the locker room.

Bosco quickly changed into his uniform as Faith waited for him. "I think this is the first time I've been on time since--" 

"Ever?" she supplied, raising an eyebrow. 

"Hey, watch it," he responded in mock offense. "You ready?" 

"Yeah." Faith shut her locker and followed him towards the door. 

* * *

Faith paused outside the role call room for a very brief moment. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and followed Bosco inside. 

As soon as she stepped into the room, the noise level dropped instantly. She could feel everyone staring at her as she walked over to her seat. 

"Let's get started," Sgt. Christopher said. 

Faith forced herself to pay attention as Christopher began to debrief them on the list of suspects they were supposed to keep an eye out for that day. 

After her was through, Christopher ended the meeting. "Yokas, stay back." 

She frowned and glanced over at Bosco, who was also frowning. She stood up and walked to the front of the room with Bosco right behind her. 

Sgt. Christopher glanced at her. "I need to see you in my office." 

"What's this about, Jason?" Bosco asked cooly.

"My office," he repeated. He turned and left the room without another word.

"I'm sure he just wants to welcome me back," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. 

"I somehow doubt it," Bosco muttered.

* * *

"Quite frankly, I'm surprised to see you back so soon," Sgt. Christopher said, leaning back in his desk chair and staring at Faith.

"Yeah, well. I was bored, so I thought, what the heck. Maybe I'll go to work and do my job." 

Bosco could tell she'd meant for it to be a joke, but her tone was a little too sharp, her body a little too tense. 

"Right. Well, I need you to sign some paperwork so we can get you a new weapon since you lost your other one." He pulled open his desk drawer.

"She didn't lose it." 

"Excuse me?" Christopher looked at him.

Bosco glared at him and made no effort to hide it. "She didn't lose her weapon. It was stolen." 

Christopher rolled his eyes and pushed some paperwork across his desk to Faith. 

She remained silent as she quickly read over and signed the documents. 

"Just take those down the hall and give them to whoever's working the desk. They'll get you a new gun," Christoper told her. 

"Thanks, Sarge." Faith glanced at Bosco, who glared one last time at Christopher before he followed her out into the hallway.

"I really hate that guy," he muttered.

* * *

It had been a relatively easy day so far. They'd taken one call about a peeping tom, who had turned out to be the caller's husband, who had accidently locked himself out of the house. Then they'd arrested a guy for drunk and disorderly conduct. 

Bosco had been worried that the day would be full of action, and though he'd already talked to Sully and Davis about taking the more taxing calls, he was relieved that there hadn't really been any taxing calls. 

He gripped the steering wheel and glanced over at Faith. "Hey. Sullivan and Davis said something about dinner at O'Malley's. You interested?" 

"Yeah. Sure. I'll call it in." She punched the button on her radio and requested that 55-David take their dinner break.

"10-4, 55-David. Request approved." 

He glanced over at her again out of the corner of his eye. "So...how you feeling? Okay?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered without hesitation.

"Fine. Right," he said under his breath. He stared ahead of him out the windshield and focused his attention on driving.

"It's gonna rain," Faith commented, her voice distant. 

"Yep." Bosco pulled the car into the parking lot of O'Malley's and parked it next to 55-Charlie. He took off his seatbelt and climbed out of the squad. He stretched and glanced around the lot. "Looks like it's not just us," he commented, nodding towards the two ambulances parked side-by-side across the parking lot.

Faith didn't respond. She stood by the passenger side of their squad, staring at the road and watching the cars fly by.

He watched her for a moment, his concern growing. He walked over to her and touched her shoulder. "Faith?" 

She blinked rapidly and her eyes focused on his face. "What?" 

"You ready to eat?" 

"Yeah." Wordlessly, she turned and left him standing alone.

Bosco shook his head and followed her.

* * *

"She looks good." 

Bosco turned to see Jimmy Dohrety standing behind him in line for more food. "What?" 

Jimmy nodded towards the table where everyone else was seated and eating dinner. "She looks good. You can barely tell that anything happened." 

Bosco followed his gaze and looked at Faith, who was sitting in between Doc and Kim. "Yeah, barely," he echoed. 

"How's she doing really?" 

"Since when do you care?" 

Jimmy was taken aback. "Hey, I like Yokas." 

"Oh, yeah? I didn't see you at the hospital or over at my place visiting her," Bosco retorted.

"Look, man, we might not be best friends or even good friends, but I care about her," he answered, defensively.

Bosco drew in a deep breath. "Sorry. You're right. I'm just--on edge, all right? It's been a long week." 

Jimmy nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure it has been. I....uh...heard about what's been going on. You really think this guy's gonna go after her again?" 

"I don't know. Maybe." 

"Well, if there's anything I can do..." His voice trailed off.

Bosco looked at him. "I know. Thanks, man." 

"Sure."

* * *

"So, how's your first day back going?" Doc asked, glancing over at Faith.

She nodded. "It's been good. Normal." 

"Glad to hear it." Doc smiled at her. 

"Pass the salt," Carlos said without looking up from his plate.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Ever heard of the word 'please?'" 

"Bite me," he retorted. 

"As enticing as that offer sounds, Carlos, I'd rather throw myself in front of a moving train," she replied. 

"Don't you two ever quit?" Doc asked, shaking his head. 

"I'm beginning to think something's going on with the two of 'em," Davis spoke up, glancing across the table at Alex and hiding a grin.

She kicked him under the table.

"I'm trying to eat here, man," Carlos complained, making a face. 

"What else is new?" Kim cut in, taking notice of the looks Alex and Davis were giving each other. 

Sully glanced down the table at Faith. "You ever notice that only half of us actually act like adults and the rest seem like they belong at the McDonald's play village?"

"Hey," Davis protested. 

Doc and Sully both laughed, and Faith managed a smile. 

Bosco returned to the table a moment later, and took his seat across from his partner. He took a bite of the cheese soup he'd brought back. "This stuff is great." He glanced at Faith. "You ever tried it?" 

She shook her head. 

"Here." He pushed the bowl towards her and she picked her spoon off the table and dipped it into the bowl. She took a bite. 

"That is good," Faith agreed, nodding. 

"You can have it. I'll go get some more." 

"No, that's all right, Boz." 

"No, really. It's fine," he assured her.

Faith glanced at him, then gave in. "Thanks." She stood up. "Excuse me. I need to use the restroom," she said to Doc, who scooted his chair up to let her out. "I'll be right back." 

Bosco stood up, as well, and headed towards the counter again.

As soon as they were gone, the remaining group exchanged glances. "Is it just me, or is Bosco acting really weird?" Carlos asked. 

"What do you mean?" Doc asked, frowning. 

"Oh, come on. He just gave Yokas his soup," he said in exasperation.

"They're partners," Kim reminded him.

"So? You don't see me giving Taylor my food," Carlos remarked, taking a drink of his soda. 

"See me thanking God for that," Alex muttered, rolling her eyes. 

"She's been through hell and back, Carlos. He's worried about her," Davis spoke up.

"I'm just sayin' it's not like him." 

"How would you know?" Sully asked, his voice quiet. 

"What?" 

"How would you know if it was like him or not? You barely know the guy." 

"Yeah, and you don't even like him," Carlos reminded him.

"We've had our problems, but he's a good guy," Sully said with a shrug. 

"Think whatever you want, but there's more going on than what you're all saying." Carlos took a bite of his chicken salad.

"What? You mean with Faith and Bosco?" Jimmy asked, leaning forward and frowning.

"Yep." 

"Carlos, she's married," Doc pointed out.

"Yeah, and do you see her husband anywhere? Heard either of them mention him at all? Don't you think it's a little odd that she's staying with Bosco and her husband is nowhere around?" 

"He's out of town visiting family," Doc said quietly, setting his fork down on the table. 

Carlos looked at him. "Yeah, says who?" 

"Bosco told me." 

The younger man sat back in his chair, a small smile on his face. "Exactly." 

Everyone exchanged glances. 

Bosco returned to the table, and a moment later, so did Faith. 

"So anyone gonna watch the game tonight?" Alex asked uncomfortably.

There was a moment of silence.

"The game was last night," Bosco told her. 

"Oh. Right." 

"We should go," Doc said to Kim, glancing at his watch. "We're back on in five." 

She nodded and stood up. "See you guys later." She followed Doc out the door.

"We should head out, too," Sully reminded Davis. 

"Right." He looked across the table at Alex. "Bye," he said to everyone, but winked discreetly at her. 

She smiled. "Later."

Jimmy looked from the retreating figure of Davis to Alex, who had a lovesick look on her face and he raised an eyebrow. He didn't know about Faith and Bosco, but there was most definitely something going on between Davis and Taylor. "Well, I'm gonna get back to work myself," he said, standing up.

"See ya," Alex told him. The others all nodded and waved.

Jimmy left.

"So, we'll see you guys later?" Alex asked as she stood up and slid her jacket on.

"Sure." 

"I'm not done," Carlos protested.

She glared at him. "It's time to go back to work." 

"Well, I'm still hungry."

"Shut up, Carlos. You know we'll be stopping somewhere else in less than an hour. I swear, if he doesn't eat something every hour on the hour, he gets the worst mood swings," she told Faith and Bosco, who both looked amused.

"Why do you have to be such a jerk?" he demanded.

"Someone's gotta keep you in line," Alex retorted. "If you're not out to the bus in one minute, I'm leaving your ass here." She turned and walked off.

Carlos followed her, grumbling the whole way.

"We used to sound like that," Faith commented, nodding towards them.

"Oh, come on. We've never been that bad." 

She raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. "Maybe not *quite* that bad." 

"Not even close," Bosco muttered, shaking his head. "We've had our problems, but we've always been friends. I don't think they even *like* each other." 

"Me either." She tossed her napkin down onto the table. "You ready to get back out there?"

He nodded and stretched his arms above his head. "Yeah, you?" 

"Yeah." Faith stood up and headed for the door. 

Bosco followed her. "You wanna drive?" 

She turned to look at him, surprised by the offer. "Sure." 

He handed her the keys. "Let's go."

* * *

"It wasn't a bad night," Bosco stated as he unlocked the front door to his apartment.

"No, it wasn't. It was good to be back," she said quietly.

"It was good having you back," he told her. He glanced at her as he opened the door. "You feeling okay? You in any pain?" 

Faith hesitated a moment. "Just a little. But the painkillers the doctor gave me should take care of it." 

"They'll help you sleep, too." Bosco closed the door behind them and locked it. 

"I'm gonna take a shower before I go to bed. Unless you wanted it first." She waited and looked at him.

"No, go ahead," he assured her, as he hung up his NYPD jacket.

"Okay." She headed towards the bathroom, got a few steps away, then paused. She turned to look at him again. "Hey, Bosco." 

"Yeah?" 

"Thanks. For everything." 

Their eyes met, and he nodded slowly. "Don't mention it."

Faith nodded, then turned and disappeared into the bathroom. 

Bosco sat down on his sofa and rested his chin on his hands. He stared at the wall, listening to the sound of running water, lost in thought.

* * *


	11. 

Title: No Mercy (11/?)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. 

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

* * *

No Mercy (Part 11)

"Boscorelli, stay back," Lt. Stick added as he dismissed the officers from role call. 

"Uh-oh," Faith muttered. 

"I didn't do anything this time. I wasn't even late." Bosco frowned deeply. "I didn't do anything, did I?" 

She shrugged. "Not that I know of." 

They stood up and walked to the front. 

Lt. Stick glanced at them. "Boscorelli, Yokas. Bosco, I need to talk to you alone." 

His frown deepened and he looked at his partner. 

"I'll wait in the car," she said with a shrug.

"All right." Bosco nodded in agreement and watched her go. Then he turned his attention to his boss.

Lt. Stick closed the door to the room. "I wanted to talk to you about Yokas." 

He folded his arms across his chest and waited. 

"How's she doing? Is she all right?" 

"She's okay." 

"Should she really be back at work this soon?" Lt. Stick asked, his brow furrowed.

"Her doctor told her to take a week off," he said with a shrug. "And after today, we've got three more days off, so..." 

The lieutenant nodded. "As long as she's handling things all right."

"Seems to be." 

"Just make sure she doesn't place herself in any unnecessary danger." 

Bosco nodded. "I'm keeping an eye on her." 

* * *

Faith leaned against her and Bosco's squad car and glanced at her watch. 

"Excuse me." 

She turned to see a young woman--with long red hair, probably in her middle-twenties--standing a few feet away from her. "Can I help you?" 

"Probably not. I just wanted to know who I needed to talk to about catching the son-of-a-bitch that put my sister in a coma." 

"What's your name?"

"Rachel Foster." 

"I'm assuming the crime's already been reported, Ms. Foster?" 

"Twice." 

"Twice?" Faith repeated, frowning.

"Both times he raped her and got away with it." 

The breath caught in her throat. "Your sister's one of the rape victims?" 

Rachel nodded. "Yeah, she is. And I want to know what the hell *you* people are doing about it," she replied.

Faith opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't find the words. After a long moment, she finally said, "We're doing all we can." 

"Oh, I feel much better," Rachel said, rolling her eyes. "This was a complete waste of time." She turned to go.

"We're gonna catch him," Faith said, struggling to keep her emotions under control. 

"That's what they always say," Rachel replied, shaking her head. 

"He'll pay for what he's done," she said quietly.

The woman stared at her for a moment. "No amount of jail time can ever make this better." Without another word, she turned and walked away.

Faith stared after her, feeling a knot of despair form in her stomach.

"You ready?" 

She blinked and realized Bosco was walking towards her. "Yeah," she said softly, reaching for the door handle.

* * *

Bosco glanced over at Faith. She'd been silent all day so far. The past couple of days they'd worked together had seemed almost completely normal. She'd seemed herself again. But now...it wasn't like her to be this quiet.

He was in the middle of contemplating how to bring up the subject when the dispatcher came over the radio. 

"55-Charlie, we have a domestic disturbance at 647 North Wood, Apartment C18. What's your location?" 

"55-Charlie is headed south on Prairie," Davis responded over the radio.

"Boz, we're closer," Faith said quietly.

He glanced over at her. "You sure you're ready for this?" 

"Yep." She pressed the button on her radio. "This is 55-David to Central. We're Northbound on King headed towards 647 North Wood." 

"10-4, 55-David." 

Bosco took a deep breath. "Here we go," he muttered. 

* * *

Bosco pulled their squad car up in front of the apartment building on 647 North Wood and shut off the engine. He climbed out of the driver's seat at the same time Faith was climbing out of her side of the car. 

He held the apartment door open for her and followed her inside. They headed for the stairway in silence. The moment they reached the third floor, they could hear yelling from down the hall.

"You stupid bitch!" a male voice shouted. 

A gunshot rang out through the air. 

He and Faith instinctively dropped to the floor and Bosco pressed the button on his radio as he drew his gun from its holster. "This is 55-David to Central. 10-13, we have shots fired at 647 North Wood. Repeat: 10-13, we have shots fired!" He looked up to see Faith headed for the end of the hallway. "Faith!" he hissed.

She paid no attention as she crept towards the door, gun drawn.

Bosco hurried after her, and reached for the door handle. He met her eyes and nodded. He flung the door open and moved inside. "Police! Drop your weapon!" he shouted to the big man holding the handgun on a woman who was sitting on the floor, crying, with one hand pressed over the wound in her shoulder. 

"The stupid bitch is cheatin' on me!" the man protested.

"Sir, put your weapon down right now!" he commanded, aiming his gun at the man.

"This is 55-David. We need a bus at 647 North Wood, Apartment C18 for a gunshot wound victim," Faith said over the radio, keeping her own weapon trained on the man.

"10-4, 55-David. Bus is on the way." 

"Put your gun down. Don't make me tell you again," Bosco warned.

The man glared at him. "She deserved it! She's cheatin' on me with my brother!" 

"Put it down now," Faith said harshly.

At that moment, Sully and Davis walked in with their guns drawn. "We thought you might need some back-up," Davis said to Bosco.

He nodded. "You might as well put the weapon down, Sir." 

The man looked from Bosco to Sully to Davis to Faith. Then he glared at the woman he'd shot. "You whore. See what you've done?" he demanded as he lowered his weapon to the ground.

"Yeah, it's her fault," Faith said, holstering her weapon and shoving the man up against the wall face-first.

"Hey, watch it, bitch!" he snapped.

She grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back roughly, shoving him against the wall harder. She pulled out her handcuffs and cuffed him as Bosco, Sully and Davis stared at her. She pulled him away from the wall and shoved him towards a chair. "Someone read this piece of crap his rights, please." 

Davis glanced at Bosco, then at Faith. "I'll do it." He moved over and started. "You have the right to remain silent..." 

"I need some air," Faith mumbled as she moved towards the door. Just as she reached it, Doc and Kim walked in. 

"She's over here," Sully called from where he was knelt down next to the woman who'd been shot. 

Doc glanced at Faith as she walked past them without a word. He frowned and looked to Bosco. "She okay?" 

Bosco met his gaze but kept silent. He followed Faith out the door and down the hallway, where she stood with her back to him. 

"I'm all right, Bosco," she snapped without turning around.

"I know," he lied. 

"I just need a minute, okay?" 

"All right." He gazed at her for a moment, then turned and went back inside the apartment. He sighed and rubbed his head. "She gonna be okay?" he asked Doc and Kim.

Kim looked up at him. "Yeah. Thankfully the guy's a poor shot. It's just a flesh wound." 

"Good." 

"We're still taking her to the hospital," Doc informed him.

He nodded.

"I am not a poor shot!" the man said, glaring at Kim.

"Shut the hell up," Bosco snapped, glaring back at him. 

"He's drunk, too," Davis added. 

Sully looked at him. "We'll take him down to the station if you want to escort Mrs. Harris to the hospital," he offered.

"Thanks," he agreed, nodding. He glanced at the doorway as Faith walked in again. "We're gonna escort Mrs. Harris to Mercy," he told her. 

She nodded and remained silent. 

"Can you walk?" Doc asked Mrs. Harris.

"Yeah, I think so," she answered.

Bosco moved out of the way as Doc and Kim helped Mrs. Harris to her feet and headed for the doorway. He followed them, with Faith right behind him. When they all got outside, Bosco glanced at Doc and Kim. "We'll meet you at Mercy." 

"Okay," Kim agreed as she helped Mrs. Harris into the back of the ambulance. 

Bosco walked over to their squad car and looked up. Faith was still standing outside the apartment building, staring after the ambulance as it drove away. "Faith?" 

She blinked a few times, then looked at him. Without a word, she walked over and climbed into the passenger side of the car. 

Bosco looked down at the ground and sighed. Then he reached for the door handle and crawled into the driver's seat.

* * *

"I'm gonna go to the restroom," Faith said under her breath to Bosco, who was filling out an incident report at the hospital. 

"All right," he agreed, not looking up from his writing.

She stood up and walked across the hall, pausing outside the women's restroom when she saw a sign on the wall with an arrow pointing down the corridor for ICU. She glanced back at Bosco for a moment. He was still concentrating on the paperwork. 

Faith walked slowly down the corridor towards ICU, glancing in the windows of each room at the sleeping or unconscious patients inside. She wondered how many of them would be alive at the end of the week. When she saw a red-headed woman lying in one of the beds, she stopped. There were tubes coming out of the woman's mouth, and she was hooked up to a respirator, along with an I.V. and a heart monitor. Her face was badly bruised, and Faith could see that her arms were bruised, too. 

"Officer Yokas?" 

She turned to see Nurse Proctor standing behind her. "Hi."

"You know her?" 

Faith glanced back at the woman in the bed. "No," she said softly.

"It's a damned shame. Poor woman," Proctor said, shaking her head. 

"Is she gonna make it?" 

"I don't know. And even if she does, there's a pretty good chance there's going to be brain damage. She was beaten pretty badly." 

"What's her name?" She was pretty sure she already knew it.

"Michelle Foster." 

Faith stared in at her. 

"Officer Yokas, are you all right?" Proctor asked, frowning deeply. "You look a little pale." 

"I'm okay," she answered absently. 

"Should I go get your partner?" 

"What? No, no. I'm fine. Really. It's just...been a long night," she said with a forced smile. 

"All right," Prescott said doubtfully. "Well, I've got to get back to my rounds. Take care." 

"Yeah, you, too," Faith replied. She looked back in at Michelle Foster and swallowed hard. She closed her eyes for a long moment, saying a silent prayer for the woman. Then she turned and headed back to find Bosco.

* * *

"You'll pay for that, bitch!" 

Faith sat up in bed, her heart racing. She looked around the room wildly, beads of sweat on her forehead. She closed her eyes briefly and forced herself to breathe as she remembered she was safe in Bosco's apartment. He was undoubtedly in the next room, either asleep or watching television. All she had to do was get up and go out there and--

No. 

I'm a big girl. I can handle a few bad dreams, she told herself. 

He was already acting weird around her; treating her like she was a glass doll that could shatter into pieces at any given moment. She didn't want him to feel like he had to protect her anymore than he already did.

She wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her sleeve and threw the blankets off her legs. She slid out of bed and walked silently down the hallway. Just as she'd figured, Bosco was sprawled out on the sofa, watching television. 

He noticed her instantly. "Hey, what--" 

"I want to go see Mrs. Coleman tomorrow," she told him. 

Bosco stared at her, looking surprised and confused. "Why?" 

"I need to talk to her about what she heard and saw the night that...that night," Faith answered, looking away. 

"Faith," he started, hesitation in his voice.

"Bosco, I need to talk to her," she said, determined. 

They stared at each other for a long moment. 

He nodded slowly. "Okay. We'll go see her tomorrow," he agreed.

"Okay. Thanks." Faith turned to head back to bed. 

"Hey, Faith?" 

"Yeah?" 

"You...wanna watch some tv with me?" Bosco asked, glancing up at her.

She hesitated. "I think I'm going to go back to bed." 

He nodded. "All right...well, if you change your mind..." 

"Thanks. Good night." 

"'Night," Bosco echoed. 

Faith returned to his bedroom and laid down on the bed, listening to the sound of her own breathing and feeling the start of a pounding headache begin throbbing in her temples.

* * *


	12. 

Title: No Mercy (12/?)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. 

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

* * *

No Mercy (Part 12)

Faith shifted her weight from one foot to the other and covered her ribs with one hand protectively, wincing slightly as Bosco reached up and knocked on Mrs. Coleman's door.

She could hear light footsteps coming towards them and her mouth went dry. 

A moment later the door opened. "Officer Boscorelli, Faith. What are you doing here?" Mrs. Coleman asked.

"I wanted to talk to you about what happened to me," Faith said quietly.

"Can we come in?" Bosco asked.

"I'm not sure how much help I'll be, but yes. Please, come in." She stepped aside and let them in. "Can I get you anything to drink?" 

Bosco started to shake his head, but Faith answered, "Can I get a glass of water?" 

"Yes, of course. Please, make yourselves comfortable. I'll be right back." She disappeared into the kitchen. 

Faith sat down at one end of the sofa, and he sat down next to her. She removed her coat and scarf, gripping onto the scarf tightly after removing it. 

"Hey." 

She turned her head to look at Bosco. "What?" 

"You don't have to do this. We can leave anytime." 

Faith looked away. "I do have to do this, Bosco. I have to do whatever it takes to catch this guy. Before he hurts anyone else." 

Silence fell between them. 

A moment later, Mrs. Coleman returned and handed Faith a glass of water. "There you go, dear." 

"Thank you." She took a sip of the water and tried to calm her pounding heart. 

Mrs. Coleman perched on the edge of her chair and looked from Faith to Bosco. "What can I do for you?"

"Can you tell me everything you remember about the night that...that I was attacked?" Faith struggled to keep her voice calm and emotionless. She was there as a police officer, investigtating the facts of the case. It wasn't time to get emotional.

Mrs. Coleman frowned and glanced at Bosco. "I've already told everything I know to your partner." 

"I know. I need to hear it myself." 

"Okay." The older woman took a deep breath. "I was up reading. It was 2:45 in the morning. All of a sudden I heard shouting coming from your apartment. Then I heard noises--like things breaking. I put my book down and dialed up your phone number, but no one answered." 

Faith closed her eyes and forced her mind back to that night. She couldn't recall the telephone ringing. Which meant that by the time that Mrs. Coleman had called, she'd probably already been unconscious. She swallowed hard and opened her eyes. 

"I was afraid you might be hurt, or in some kind of trouble. So I called 911. Afterwards, I got up to make sure that my door was locked. I watched out the peep hole and saw a man leaving your apartment. He was white and tall with dark hair. The paramedics and police arrived soon after that." 

"Is there anything else you can remember? Anything at all?" she asked hopefully.

Mrs. Coleman shook her head. "I wish I could be of more help, but that's all I know." 

Faith nodded and set down the glass of ice water. She stood up. "Thank you for your time, Mrs. Coleman." 

"Oh, please. We've been neighbors for years. It's Adele," the woman responded warmly. 

She nodded. "Thank you, Adele." She headed towards the door with Bosco behind her. 

"If there's anything that I can do for you, please, let me know." 

"I will. Thanks," Faith said as she let herself out. She could hear Bosco talking quietly to Mrs. Coleman and she waited in the hallway for him. 

Her gaze traveled to her apartment door. A chill crept up her spine and she shuddered. She forced herself to walk over to the door, then she reached into her coat pocket and her hand closed around her keys. Feeling dread start to build inside her, she took a deep breath and pulled the keys out.

Mrs. Coleman's door closed. 

"What are you doing?" Bosco asked, frowning. 

"Going inside," Faith answered absently. She put the key in the lock and started to turn it when he grabbed her hand. 

"I don't think this is a good idea." 

She unlocked the door and turned the door handle, ignoring his comment. Bosco sighed. She flipped on the light and stepped inside her apartment. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked around. Then she turned her gaze to Bosco. "What--?" 

"I, uh...came in here and cleaned things up on my break a few days ago. Gusler helped." He shrugged.

Faith looked away. She ignored the knot that was forming in her stomach and walked further into the apartment. She swallowed hard when her gaze landed on the blood stain in the living room carpet. 

"Faith." She could hear the concern in Bosco's voice. 

She ignored it, as well as her racing heart. She turned and walked into the kitchen. She paused at the stove, her hand lightly touching the tea kettle. Her mind flashed back to that night--

She heard a noise from the living room. "Fred?" she called hopefully.

Faith listened to the silence, then reached up to the cabinet and removed a coffee cup, waiting to hear the noise again. 

"What are you doing?" Bosco's voice broke through her concentration.

She turned to see him standing in the kitchen doorway, a worried expression on his face. "I just realized that...to catch this guy, we have to do what good detectives do." The knot in her stomach expanded. 

"What's that?" 

"Re-enact the crime," Faith answered with resolve.

* * *

Bosco stared at her for a full ten seconds, trying to decide if she was serious or not. Realizing she was, he immediately shook his head. "No way." 

"Bosco--" 

"Forget it. It's a bad idea," he said vehemently.

"We have to do this. It could make me remember his face," she pointed out. 

"Have you even considered the idea that maybe there's a reason you can't remember?" Bosco demanded. 

"That's not important. What's important is that we catch this guy. It's our job, Bosco. It's my job. I'm a cop." 

"Yeah, that's right. You're a cop, not god-damned Superwoman. You can't separate who you are as a person from who you are as a cop. You can't just shut down how you're feeling by pretending this happened to someone else. It doesn't work that way." Bosco considered the irony of his own words, and then wondered when the hell he'd become the more rational of the two of them. 

Faith looked away for a moment. "This is as much for me as it is to stop him from hurting someone else. I need to remember. Because if I can't, I'm never going to get past this." She returned her gaze to his, her eyes pleading. "You once told me that you'd always be there for me. I'm asking for your help now, Boz. Please." 

He stared at her, unable to decide what to do. 

"You're the only one I trust enough to do this," she said quietly.

Bosco cursed himself silently. "All right. What do we do?" 

* * *

"I was standing here." Faith motioned to the closet door that she was standing in front of. She turned the door handle and opened the closet. "I reached inside to get my gun. I just picked it up from the top shelf when he came up behind me." She turned and looked over her shoulder at Bosco, who appeared hesitant. 

He moved so he was standing behind her. 

Faith swallowed hard and closed her eyes briefly, reminding herself that it was just Bosco. "He shoved me into the wall. I dropped my gun." She took a deep breath. "I elbowed him in the ribs." She turned quickly. "Then I punched him in the side of the head."

She felt a wave of nausea come over her, but she shoved it away, determined to remember everything that happened. "He threw me on the floor. I rolled and tried to get my gun, but he kicked me in the ribs." She rested her hand on her right ribcage, wincing.

"Faith--" 

"I got up as fast as I could. He was blocking the path to my gun. At that point, we were at a standoff. That's when the tea kettle started whistling." She closed her eyes again, hearing the sound echo in her mind. "He was distracted for a moment, so I shoved him backwards into the front door and went for my gun again. I had it in my hand, but he threw me into the coffee table.

"It broke. The wood just shattered underneath me like glass. I couldn't catch my breath." She was now standing in the center of the room where the table used to be. "Before I even had a chance to move, he picked me up and slammed me against the wall. I slid down to the floor. I was dazed. My legs were...weak." Her head started to pound and she pressed her hand to her forehead as she sank down onto the floor where she'd collapsed. 

"Let's take a break," Bosco cut in, squatting down in front of her.

She shook her head, knowing that if she quit then, she may never recover her lost memories. "He grabbed me by my neck and pulled me to my feet. He was choking me. I couldn't breath. I thought he was going to kill me, Bosco," she whispered, her eyes still closed. "I thought he was going to kill me and I didn't want to die."

Bosco closed his own eyes. "Faith--" 

She struggled again to rein in her emotions and she rose to her feet abruptly. "Then he let go of my throat. He threw me on the floor. I was on the verge of blacking out." Faith walked to the center of the room again and stared down at the blood stain. Then, swallowing hard against the bile she could taste in the back of her throat, she sat down next to the spot. She took a deep breath and laid back on the floor, her heart pounding double-time.

"I remember my head was...was pounding and I reached up to touch it...my hand...it was covered in blood. The next thing I knew, he was sitting on top of me." Her voice wavered and she squeezed her eyes shut against the tears that were forming. "By that time, I knew there was nothing left I could do to stop him from...I was in too much pain to fight back. I tried to plead with him...he said I wanted him to do what he was about to do to me." 

"Stop," Bosco said quietly, shaking his head. 

"I could hear Davis's voice in my mind saying that we had no description of the rapist--so I reached up to pull off his mask." She forced her mind to that moment, remembering his green eyes glaring down at her. She was so close to remembering. So close. "I can't--" her voice broke.

"Faith, stop." 

She opened her eyes to see a face staring back at her. She shrieked and shoved him away. "No!" 

"Faith, it's me!" 

Through her tears, she realized the eyes staring back at her weren't the rapist's. Blue eyes. They were blue eyes, not green ones. Bosco's eyes. 

What the hell is wrong with me? 

"I'm gonna be sick." She quickly stood up and darted past him, rushing towards the bathroom.

"Damn it," Bosco cursed.

* * *

Bosco pressed a cool wash cloth to Faith's forehead and kept her hair back as she emptied the contents of her stomach into the toliet. After several long moments, she collapsed back against the side of the bathtub, holding her stomach and trying to breathe.

Bosco flushed the toliet, grimacing and cursing himself for allowing her to put herself through this. He turned to look at her. 

She was leaning against the tub, her hands trying to wipe away her tears as soon as they escaped the corners of her eyes. Her entire body was shaking. 

Bosco moved to her side, feeling a mixture of shock and mild panic wash over him. He'd never--not once in their entire partnership--seen her cry. He swallowed hard, not sure what to do. He gently touched her shoulder. "Faith," he said quietly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, not looking at him.

"For what?" 

"Falling apart like this." She took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. When the tears continued to form, she quickly wiped them away. 

Bosco reached up and caught one of her hands. "Don't apologize. It's all right," he assured her. 

She shook her head. "No, it's not." She stifled a sob and buried her face in her hands. "This is all my fault." 

"It's not," he said firmly.

"I left my keys in the door," Faith choked out.

He stared at her. "What?" 

"That night when I came home...I left my keys in the door. I don't even remember doing it. I heard Detective Flannigan telling his partner that's how the guy got in. I left my keys in the door, Bosco. It is my fault," she said, no longer bothering to wipe away the tears. 

"Look at me." 

She shook her head in refusal.

"Faith, it doesn't matter. It doesn't justify what that bastard did to you. It's not your fault." 

"I'm a cop--I'm supposed to be more careful about things like that. God, what if my kids had been home? What if he had done something to them? What kind of mother am I?" 

"A damn good one. You can't do this to yourself, all right? What happened to you is not your fault." 

"I can't believe I did something so stupid," she whispered. "I practically invited him inside." 

"Do you know how many times I've done the same thing? More times than I can count. I leave my keys in the door by accident all the time. It happens. We had a long day at work, you and Fred were fighting, you were exhausted. You can't blame yourself." 

"How can I not?" 

"What about the other women this guy's raped? None of them left their keys in the door and he still found a way into their apartments." Bosco shook his head. "Besides that, if someone had come in and killed me or robbed me in my sleep one of the times I left my keys in the door, would you say it was my own fault?" 

"Of course not." 

"Then tell me how this is any different," he challenged. 

Faith opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again.

"It's not," Bosco said quietly. "You were the victim of a violent crime. It's not your fault, Faith." 

She looked at him, her eyes flooded with tears. He felt his own eyes begin to water. He reached up and gently brushed away one of the tears from her cheek. 

"I'm sorry," Faith whispered again, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. 

He could tell by the way she was breathing that she was trying to hold back her tears. Bosco took a deep breath, not wanting to see her cry anymore, but somehow knowing it was what she needed to do. "Faith. Come here." 

She opened her eyes and he held out his arms.

Faith hesitated. 

"Come here," he said again.

She leaned into his embrace and he carefully pulled her over so she was wrapped in his arms. He held her tightly. "Just let it out," Bosco said softly.

Faith pressed her face into his shoulder. He felt her take a shuddering breath as the tears began to build again. 

With every sob, Bosco felt his heart break a little more. He pressed his lips to the top of her head and rubbed her back. She cried for what seemed like hours, and then gradually quieted down. She made no effort to pull away, and Bosco made no move to push her away, either. Nor did he reach up to wipe away his own tears.

They just remained on the bathroom floor in silence, Faith folded tightly in Bosco's arms, both taking comfort in the other's warmth.


	13. 

Title: No Mercy (13/?)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. 

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Warning: This chapter contains a lot of bad language. Be advised.

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

Special thanks to Dem, Debbie, Jess, CCA and everyone else who gave me feedback on the last part! You guys are awesome; thanks so much! 

* * *

No Mercy (Part 13)

"Bosco! Help me!" Faith cried, pinned beneath her attacker. Tears streamed down her face as the man in the mask held her arms above her with one hand and unfastened his belt with the other.

"Get your hands off her!" Bosco shouted, balling his hands into fists.

The man paid no attention to him. He yanked down Faith's jeans.

Bosco tried to move forward, but his feet were stuck to the ground by some unseen force. "Faith! Don't touch her! Leave her alone!" he screamed.

"Bosco, please! Help me!" Faith pleaded.

"Faith!" 

Bosco sat straight up on the sofa, drenched in sweat, his heart racing. He quickly reached beside him and clicked the lamp on to the lowest setting.

He glanced around his empty living room and took a few deep breaths, trying to rid his mind of the awful images from his nightmare. He rubbed his hands over his face and kicked off the one blanket covering him. He swung his legs off the couch and stood up.

Bosco walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass from the cabinet. He quickly filled it with cold water from the tap and took a long drink.

He shuddered as Faith's please for help echoed in his mind. He set the glass down on the counter and splashed a handful of cold water on his face. "It was just a dream," he muttered. He wiped off his face with the towel and took a deep breath as he leaned against the sink.

The nightmare had left him with the familiar feelings of guilt and helplessness he'd experienced so many times as a kid watching his dad beat his mom. But that didn't make any sense. What happened to Faith wasn't his fault. Or was it? Had he let her down because he hadn't been there to protect her? 

His thoughts were interrupted by a noise from the other room. He rushed toward his bedroom, afraid that the guy had come back for Faith. His gaze immediately flew to the window. It was shut and locked, the curtains still and untouched. 

"No, please..." 

His eyes traveled to the bed where Faith was lying, her arms flailing out, warding off an unseen attacker. He moved over and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Faith, wake up," he urged. "You're safe, wake up." 

Her eyes flew open and she shot up in bed, gasping for breath. 

"It's okay, Faith. You're safe," he assured her immediately.

"Bosco?" she said in confusion.

"Right here." 

Faith swallowed hard and closed her eyes. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." She opened her eyes again and gave him an apologetic look. 

"You didn't. I was already awake," he told her. "You okay?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just had a bad dream." She shrugged.

"Me too," Bosco admitted quietly. He reached out and tucked a strand of stray hair behind her ear. 

Faith moved slightly and wound her arms around his waist, resting her chin on his shoulder. Bosco was caught off guard for a moment, but quickly wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. She'd dismissed the nightmare as nothing, but he could feel her trembling against him. He pressed his face into her hair, took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He closed his eyes. 

He heard her sudden sharp intake of breath. "Boz?" 

"Yeah?" 

She pulled away from him, her face drained of all color and her eyes wide. "Call Detective Masters." 

"What?" 

"I just remembered the guy's face." 

* * *

"The eyes were a little further apart." 

"Like this?" Travis asked, typing something into the computer.

"Yeah." Faith sat back in her chair and stared at the screen. 

"That the guy?" Detective Masters asked, standing behind her.

She nodded. "That's him." 

Bosco stared at the computer-generated photo. 

"You're absolutely sure?" Detective Flannigan asked from where he was leaning against the wall.

"Yeah, I'm sure," she answered sharply.

"Print it out. We'll make copies, send it to all the NY precincts. We'll catch this guy in no time," Masters said confidently.

Faith didn't respond. She stood up, mumbled something about the restroom, and left the room. 

Bosco continued to stare at the computer screen, burning the guy's face into his memory. His hands involuntarily curled into fists and he felt a rush of pure hatred flood through him.

"I don't know about this," Flannigan said doubtfully.

"What?" Masters asked.

"We sure she's reliable?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean, she saw the guy's face in a dream. What if she's wrong?" 

"She also saw the guy the night of the attack," Masters pointed out.

"How do we know she hasn't just gone nuts? I mean, I don't know about you, but I don't want to put away some innocent guy because of a post-traumatic stress disordered woman cop." 

Without stopping to think about it, Bosco shot out of his chair and slammed the guy up against the wall.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Flannigan demanded. 

"You! You're my fucking problem, asshole! Now, I don't know what your deal is, and honestly? I don't fucking give a shit. But if I ever--ever--hear you say something like that about my partner again, so help me God, I'll make you wish you'd never met me!" Bosco growled.

"I already wish I'd never met you!" Flannigan shoved Bosco away from him. "And if you ever fucking touch me again, I'll break your fucking neck!"

"All right. Everyone just take a deep breath and calm down," Masters commanded. 

"You need to see a psychiatrist. Get some fucking therapy before you get yourself hurt," Flannigan snapped. 

"That some kind of threat? Think you can take me? Let's go," Bosco taunted. 

"Enough!" Masters said, stepping between them. 

Bosco and Flannigan glared at each other. 

"If you want to talk to Faith again, you come alone. I don't want this idiot anywhere near her," Bosco informed Masters.

"This is my case, and--" 

"Shut the hell up. I wasn't talking to you," he snapped. He turned his full attention to Detective Masters. "The last time we met, you two were talking about how the guy got into her apartment. Mr. Sensitivity here said he'd gotten in because Faith left her keys in the door." 

"Hey, I was stating a fact!" 

"She heard you." Bosco glared at him.

"What?" Masters looked at him in surprise.

"I don't want him around her again." 

"How was I supposed to know she was standing there?" Flannigan demanded.

"Gee, I don't know, Detective," he replied sarcastically.

"All right. If we need to speak with Officer Yokas again, I'll come alone," Masters agreed.

"Thank you." Bosco turned and started to walk away.

"Do you want one of these?" Travis called after him, holding a printed copy of the rapist's photograph.

"No. I'm not gonna forget what the fucker looks like," he answered darkly.

* * *

Faith waited as Bosco unlocked his apartment door, then she stepped inside as he held it open for her. The apartment was dark and silent. She felt a shudder pass through her body and she quickly reached out and turned out the overhead light. 

She was exhausted and totally emotionally drained from everything that had happened in the last twelve hours. But despite her tiredness, she dreaded going back to sleep. She'd had nightmares every night since the attack, and now that she remembered her attacker's face, she was sure they'd only get worse. 

Bosco hung up his coat on the rack. He seemed upset about something, but she didn't know why. 

"Boz?" 

He turned to look at her. 

"You okay?" she asked, studying him.

"Yeah, fine. Why?" 

"You seem tense." 

"It's been a long day." He shrugged and disappeared into the kitchen.

Faith bit her lip, worry settling in her mind. Maybe he was angry with her. Or sick of having her around. She swallowed hard and tried to fight the sudden urge she had to start crying. Wordlessly, she turned and walked down the hallway to his bedroom. She dropped her purse on the floor next to the bed and laid down, keeping her jacket on. 

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, willing herself not to cry again. She had never been the kind of person who cried easily, but lately she found herself constantly on the verge of crying. She was angry with herself for breaking down earlier, and in front of Bosco, no less. But despite her anger, she had to admit she felt a little better after releasing some of her pent up emotions. Not a lot, but a little. 

Bosco had been great, even if he was acting tense around her now. He'd simply held her and let her cry. And it had felt good to be held. Felt safe. She wasn't sure if it was more about being held, or who had been doing the holding, but either way, in that moment, she'd felt comforted and protected and cared for.

She just wished she could have made that feeling last.

* * *

Bosco took a long sip of hot chocolate and allowed its warmth to calm him down a bit. He'd wanted to kill Flannigan, but he wasn't completely sure if it was because the guy was an asshole, or because he'd just needed someone to take his anger out on or both.

He took a deep breath. He was beginning to wish he hadn't quit his yoga program a few months ago. It had been helping to soothe his nerves. He set down his mug of cocoa and glanced into the living room. Faith was nowhere in sight. 

Frowning, he left the kitchen and walked down the hallway to his bedroom. The lamplight beside the bed was on, but she was curled up on her side faced away from him with her eyes closed. He moved closer, staying quiet in case she was already asleep. 

Bosco stared down at her for a long moment. Her face was pale, and half her hair had fallen out of the loose ponytail she'd put it in as they had gotten ready to go the station earlier that morning. Lying there, she appeared to be so fragile, and he wasn't used to seeing her or thinking about her like that. Faith was the strongest person he knew. She'd gotten him through so many bad times, he couldn't possibly even remember them all. 

He closed his eyes briefly, wondering if he'd even been truly helping her the past few days. He didn't know the first thing about taking care of someone else. He'd never been able to help his mom when his dad hurt her. He hadn't been able to keep his brother Mikey from becoming a drug addict. How in the world was he supposed to help Faith when he couldn't even help his own family? 

Bosco found himself wondering what Sully or Davis or Doc or even Fred would do if they were in his position. Sighing, he realized he didn't have a clue. He realized she was shivering in her sleep, and he quickly left the room, and returned a moment later, covering her with the blanket he'd been using at night on the sofa. He reached over to turn off the lamp. 

"Don't shut it off. Please." 

He turned, surprised. "I thought you were asleep." 

Faith shook her head slightly. "No." 

"Well, I'll leave the light on," he assured her. "'Night." He turned reluctantly and headed for the door. 

"Bosco?" 

"Yeah?" When she didn't respond right away, he frowned and moved closer to her again. "What is it?" 

"Would you...mind staying here with me for awhile?" 

"Sure, no problem," Bosco said immediately, nodding. He grabbed the chair from the corner of the room and started to scoot it toward the bed.

She sat up slightly. "Boz...I meant...nevermind." 

His frown deepened. "What did you mean?" 

"Could you just...hold me for awhile?" 

"Oh." 

"I know. It's stupid. Forget it." Faith closed her eyes and shook her head.

"It's not stupid." Bosco sat down on the edge of the bed, then kicked off his shoes and sprawled out beside her. He glanced at her. She was still faced away from him, so he scooted closer to her, and draped an arm around her stomach. "This okay?" 

She nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

"Sure." Bosco rested his other arm on the pillow above their heads and stared at his bedroom wall. 

"Bosco?" she said softly.

"Yeah?" 

"I'm really sorry I've been such a pain in the ass the past few days." 

"Hey, you've been a pain in the ass for the past few years. I'm used to it." 

She smacked his arm and he grinned. 

"I'm serious. I've really screwed up your life and I'm sorry about that." 

He leaned up on his elbow and looked down at her. "You haven't screwed up my life at all, Faith. Truth be told, you're the only good part about my life." 

She took a deep breath. "I just...feel like I'm wasting your time. You should be out searching for your next fling or having fun or something." 

"Hey." He nudged her gently with his arm. 

Faith looked up at him. 

"You're not a waste of my time, all right? You're more important to me than some one night stand or even a potential girlfriend. And besides that, I like having you here. It's nice not to be alone all the time." She raised her eyebrows. "And if you ever tell anyone I said that, I'll deny it." 

She smiled slightly. "Wouldn't dream of it." 

"Right." Bosco smiled back. "I don't know about you, but I'm beat. Why don't we try to get some sleep before daylight?" he suggested. 

Faith nodded. "Night, Boz." 

"Night," he said quietly, laying his head back down on the pillow and staring at the wall again.


	14. Chapter 14

Title: No Mercy (14/?)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. 

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Warning: This chapter contains a lot of bad language. Be advised.

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

* * *

No Mercy (Part 14)

Davis sat down next to Sully at roll call and glanced around. "Something's up." 

Sully nodded in agreement, folded his arms across his chest and stared at Lt. Stick and Sgt. Christopher, waiting.

"All right, everyone, listen up," Lt. Stick began. "At 2 a.m. this morning, Officer Yokas came down to the station and met with Detectives Flannigan and Masters. Thanks to her, we now have a composite sketch of the rapist."

Davis's eyes widened and he turned to look at Sully, who appeared equally as surprised. 

"Sgt. Christopher is handing out the photos now. I want everyone to study them carefully and be on the lookout for this man. This case takes top priority," Lt. Stick continued.

Davis accepted the photograph Sgt. Christopher handed him and he stared down at it. Next to him, Sully did the same. 

Lt. Stick went on to tell them about two suspects wanted in connection to a bank robbery from the previous shift. Then he dismissed the meeting with his standard, "Keep your eyes and ears open out there." 

The officers around them stood up and began to get ready for their shift. 

Davis glanced at Sully. "If Bosco catches this guy, he'll probably kill him." He wasn't sure how he knew it, he just did. 

Sully didn't disagree. "Hell, if I catch the guy, *I* might kill him." 

He stared at his partner. "You serious?" Sully didn't reply. "You are serious." 

Sully glanced at him sideways as they walked outside to their squad car. "What if the bastard had attacked Taylor instead of Faith? What would you do?" 

He grew quiet as he slid into the passenger seat and fastened his seatbelt. 

Sully started the engine and pulled the car out onto the road. Instead of driving toward the little cafe where they usually stopped for coffee, he turned down Grand and headed East. 

"What are you doing?" Davis asked, his eyebrows furrowed. 

"Going to Bosco's." 

"You think Yokas is okay?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know. I hope so." 

* * *

Bosco was awakened to the sound of distant knocking. He squinted his eyes at the alarm clock on his beside table. 3:30 p.m. He groaned inwardly and laid his head back down.

The knocking began again.

If he didn't get up, whoever was at the door was going to wake up Faith, who was still curled up beside him, sleeping. He carefully lifted his arm from her waist and rolled off his side of the bed. He winced as he got to his feet. His neck and arms were sore from remaining in the same position for so long. But he hadn't wanted to wake her after it took her so long to fall asleep that morning. 

Bosco rubbed his eyes and walked down the hallway to his door. He unlocked it and pulled ito open. Sully and Davis were standing in front of him.

"You look like hell," Sully remarked. 

"Thanks a lot," he answered wryly.

"We heard about what happened." Davis looked at him, his face full of concern. "She all right?" 

He took a deep breath and released it slowly. "It was a rough night." That's the understatement of the century, he thought. He'd lain awake for hours, holding Faith and trying to comfort her each time she'd been plagued by nightmares. She hadn't even woken up--just cried in her sleep. He'd done his best through whispered words to soothe her and convince her she was safe, and after awhile, her breathing would become calm and even again. 

Bosco raked a hand through his hair and nodded to Sully and Davis. "You guys can come in. Faith's still asleep." 

Sully and Davis exchanged a look. "Nah, we don't wanna risk waking her," Sully said, shaking his head. "We just wanted to make sure she was okay." 

"Yeah, sorry we woke you, man," Davis added. 

Bosco shrugged. "It's all right," he said tiredly.

"We're gonna catch this guy, Bosco," Sully said quietly.

His eyes darkened. "I know." 

Davis shifted uncomfortably. "Sul, we should go." 

Sully nodded in agreement. "Tell her we said hi." 

"I will." Bosco closed the door behind them and locked it. He took a deep breath and walked back to his bedroom. He sat down slowly on the edge of the bed. 

Faith turned over and squinted at him. "Boz?" 

"Hey, sorry. Didn't mean to wake you." 

She shook her head. "You didn't. What time is it?" 

"Almost four." 

"In the afternoon?" she asked, shocked.

He smiled. "Yeah." 

"I can't believe I've been asleep so long." 

"I was asleep, too, until Sullivan and Davis woke my ass up." 

"They were here?" Her eyebrows furrowed. 

"Yeah. Wanted to see how you were." 

"Sorry, Bosco." 

"Not your fault." 

"I'll just get out of here and let you sleep," Faith said, yawning as she started to sit up. 

"You don't have to." 

"What? Let you sleep?" 

"No. Go. You don't have to go." Bosco shrugged and looked at her. "Unless you want to." 

She studied him for a minute, and yawned again. "Actually, weird as it sounds, I'm still kind of tired myself." 

Bosco laid down on his back and held his arm out. She hesitated momentarily, then laid her head down on his shoulder. He folded his arm around her, pulling her closer and resting his chin on the top of her head. "Night, Faith." He closed his eyes and within moments, they were both asleep again.

* * *

"Mrs. Richards, are you in any pain?" Alex asked as she cleaned the wound on the woman's arm. 

"No, is my son all right?" Mrs. Richards asked anxiously, looking past her.

Alex glanced over her shoulder to where Carlos was checking the young boy over. "Carlos!" 

He looked up. 

"How is he?" 

"Not a scratch on him," he called back. 

Alex looked at the woman again and smiled. "He's just fine." 

"I don't fucking believe this! You hit my fucking car, you stupid bitch!" 

She turned to see the driver of the other car stalking toward them, glaring at Mrs. Richards. "Easy," Alex warned him.

"She ran right into me!" he accused.

"You ran a stoplight!" 

The man walked closer.

Alex moved so she was standing in between Mrs. Richards and the man. 

"Move," he commanded.

"Sir, you need to calm down," she said firmly.

"You need to get the hell outta my way," he replied, his eyes narrowed. 

"Hey, Taylor! Police are on the way," Carlos shouted. 

Her gaze flickered over to her partner, then back to the man. "Did you hear that? Cops are on the way. You don't want to start any trouble here." 

"It's whores like you that ruin the world," he said darkly. Then he stormed off. 

"What a creep," Alex muttered. She shook her head and turned her attention back to Mrs. Richards. 

A few minutes later, a police car pulled up to the curb. She glanced over to see Davis and Sully climbing out of the car. Her heart skipped a beat. 

"What happened here?" Davis asked as he immediately headed in her direction. 

"The guy ran a red light. I tried to stop--I did--but I couldn't," Mrs. Richards said, clearly shaken by the whole incident. 

"It's gonna be okay," Alex assured her. 

Davis nodded in agreement. "Where's the other driver?" 

She turned and started to gesture to the guy's car, which though not totaled, had the front end smashed up on the side. She frowned. "He was here a minute ago. And he was a real jerk." 

Sully and Davis both looked around. "I don't see anyone else," Sully commented.

"That's weird." 

"She gonna be okay?" Davis asked, nodding towards Mrs. Richards.

"Yeah. But you are gonna need a few stitches for this cut. We'll take you to the hospital," Alex told her. 

"Thank you." 

"No problem." 

"I need to talk to you," Davis said quietly, standing beside her. 

She looked up at him and saw the seriousness in his eyes. "Okay." She turned back to Mrs. Richards. "I'll be back in just a minute, okay?" 

Mrs. Richards nodded. 

Alex walked a few feet away and turned to look at him. "What's going on." 

"Yokas remembered what the guy looked like." 

Her eyes widened. "She all right?" 

He shrugged and looked away.

"Ty? What is it?" 

He gazed at her. "I'm just...worried, that's all." 

"About Faith?" 

"No. About you," he admitted. 

She reached out and touched his arm. "Thank you. For worrying about me. But I'm fine. I'm being careful." 

"It's just...if anything happened to you--" He shook his head and looked away again. "I don't know what I would do." 

"Hey. Nothing's going to happen to me. Anytime I'm not with you, I'm with Carlos." 

Davis gave her a look.

"All right, admittedly, he's no Superman. But I don't think some guy would attack me with him around, either," Alex pointed out.

He nodded. His gaze traveled to Sully, who was waving him over. "I gotta get back to work." 

"Okay." She watched as he started to turn away.

"Oh. I almost forgot." Davis took a piece of folded paper out of his jacket and handed it to her. "That's a picture of the guy's face. Just in case." 

"Thanks." Alex tucked it into her pocket. 

"Be careful out there," he said quietly.

"You too," she answered.

"See ya tonight?" 

"You bet." Alex took a deep breath and walked over to Mrs. Richards. "Let's get you to the hospital." 

* * *

"He's a cute kid," Alex commented, glancing over her shoulder to where Mrs. Richards and her five year old son Daniel were sitting in the back of the ambulance. 

"His mom's not too bad, either," Carlos replied. 

She rolled her eyes. "She's already married, and even if she wasn't, she seems to have some class." 

"Meaning?" 

"You wouldn't have a chance." 

Carlos shot a glare in her direction.

Alex smiled and turned to look out the window. She suddenly remembered the paper Ty had given her and she reached into her pocket, pulled it out and unfolded it. "Oh, my God." 

"What?" 

She stared down at the picture. "It's him! Carlos, go back to the accident site," she said immediately.

He looked at her like she was nuts. "What? Why?" 

"Because I have to talk to Ty and Sully right now." 

"Can't it wait?" 

"No. Go back now." 

"We need to get Mrs. Richards to the hospital," he pointed out. 

"Damn it, Carlos. The other driver is the rapist!" 

His eyebrows shot up. "How the hell do you know that?" 

Alex held the up the picture. 

Carlos stared at it for two seconds, snapped on the lights and sirens and did a U-turn in the middle of the road.

* * *

Ring, ring!

Bosco groaned, but reached his arm over to his bedside stand and grabbed the telephone receiver. "Hello?" he mumbled. 

"Officer Boscorelli?" 

"Yeah?" 

"This is Detective Masters." 

He opened his eyes and looked over at the clock. The glowing red digits said 8:07. 

"Officer Boscorelli? Are you there?" 

"Yeah, yeah. I'm here." He glanced at Faith, who was yawning and sitting up.

"We caught him." 

Bosco sat up straight, instantly awake. "What?" 

"The guy ran a red light and some woman hit his car. He left the scene before the police arrived, but not before the paramedics got there. One of them recognized him and talked to the officers on the scene. They ran a trace on his license plate. We picked him up an hour ago." 

"You sure it's the guy?" Bosco could feel Faith staring at him. 

"Positive. He signed a full confession." 

For a moment, Bosco remained silent. "Do you need us to come down?" 

"There's no rush. If you want to wait til tomorrow, that's fine. He's not going anywhere." 

"All right. Thanks for calling." Bosco hung up the phone and took a deep breath. 

"Boz?" 

He turned to look at his partner, who was staring at him with wide eyes. "They caught him." 

Faith's eyes filled with tears and one slid down her cheek. "They're sure?" 

"He signed a confession," Bosco told her. 

She nodded and looked down at the bed, trying to maintain her composure. 

He shifted so he was sitting next to her. "Hey. Everything's going to be all right now. It's over." Bosco wrapped his arms around her. 

Faith swallowed hard and buried her face in his shoulder. She exhaled slowly and let her eyes drift shut. It's over, she thought, allowing relief to take hold. It's over.

* * *

"They caught him," Alex announced as soon as she and Carlos arrived back at the firehouse for a late dinner. 

"Who?" Jimmy asked, frowning as he bit into an apple.

"The rapist," Carlos supplied. 

Kim stared at them. "They caught him?" 

Alex nodded. 

"How?" Doc questioned.

"The guy ran a red light. A patient of ours hit him. Taylor and I recognized him from the photo the police released this morning," Carlos answered, grinning broadly. 

Doc's gaze flickered to Alex. "So what happened?" 

She sat down at the table across from him. "The guy took off when he heard the cops were coming. Sully and Davis ran a trace on his license plate. The detectives working the case arrested him and brought him in awhile ago." 

"Yokas and Bosco know yet?" Jimmy asked, leaning back against the counter. 

"I don't know," she replied.

"I wonder how Faith's doing," Kim said quietly, tracing the circular pattern on the tabletop with her index finger. 

"You know, I was gonna go over to Bosco's tomorrow and check on her. You want to come with me?" Alex asked.

Kim looked surprised. "Yeah, thanks, Alex." 

"Sure." 

"Will she even still be at Bosco's tomorrow?" Jimmy wondered aloud.

"Why wouldn't she be?" Kim asked, not looking up.

"Well, I mean the whole reason she's been staying with him is because they hadn't caught the guy, right? She doesn't really have a reason to stay there now," he pointed out.

"Unless she does," Carlos replied, joining Doc, Alex and Kim at the table with a plate of spaghetti. 

"You're not still on that, are you?" Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Boscorelli and Yokas? Together? Come on, Nieto. Get a life." 

"Think what you want, but there's more going on than what they're letting on." Carlos shrugged and started eating his dinner.

Doc shook his head and stood up. "I think I'm gonna go outside and get some air." He stuffed his hands in his coat pockets and walked down the stairs. When he made it outside, he drew in a deep breath and looked up at the sky.

"Doc?" 

He turned, surprised to see Fred Yokas standing a few feet away. "Hey." He'd only met Faith's husband on a couple of occasions, and he found himself a bit surprised that the man had remembered him.

Fred walked over. He motioned across the street to the police station. "I've been trying to get a hold of Faith. The guy at the desk said she was off today and tomorrow. I tried calling the apartment, but she didn't answer there, either." 

Doc nodded slightly, feeling uncertain all of a sudden. Obviously Fred had no clue what had been happening with his wife.

"Have you seen her?" 

"A couple days ago," Doc admitted. 

"Well, do you know where she might be? Or how I can get a hold of her?" 

Doc hesitated, then recalled what Bosco had told him. Fred had been out of town with the kids visiting family and Faith hadn't been able to reach him by phone. He nodded. "She's staying at Bosco's." 

Fred stared at him for a moment. "Thanks," he said flatly. He turned and walked away.

Doc frowned and wondered if maybe--just maybe--Carlos might be right for a change.

* * *

Davis stared out the passenger window of his and Sully's squad car. "How do you think they took the news?" 

"Faith and Bosco?" 

"Yeah." 

Sully shook his head. "I don't know." 

"Maybe we should go over there." 

"Nah. We should give them awhile to process." 

"Yeah." 

Sully glanced over at him. "You're quiet tonight." 

"What you asked me earlier? About what I would do if some guy did to Alex what that guy did to Yokas?" 

"Yeah?" 

Davis turned and looked at Sully. "I'd kill him." 

"Davis--" 

"No, you were right. I'd kill him. If I had the chance," he admitted quietly. He looked away and stared out the window again. "Does that make me a bad cop?" 

"No," Sully replied. "It makes you human." 

* * *

Bosco had considered ordering out for Chinese or pizza, but decided against it. Faith was taking a shower and he needed to do something to occupy his mind so he wasn't so tempted to go down to the station and commit murder. So he found himself in the kitchen cooking lasagna. His stomach growled as he mixed together the ingredients. 

A loud knocking at the door pulled him out of his concentration and with a sigh, he walked over to answer it. When he opened the door, he found himself face-to-face with Fred. He immediately felt a rush of anger flood through him and he folded his arms over his chest. "What do you want?" 

"I'm here to see Faith," Fred replied, glaring at him.

Bosco stared at him coolly. "She's not here." 

"That paramedic--Doc--said she'd been staying with you." 

"Yeah? Well, he was mistaken." 

"She's my wife. I have the right to see her," Fred said angrily.

"Your rights ended the day you walked out on her. Now get the hell out of my apartment. And stay the hell away from Faith. She doesn't want to see you." 

"Bosco?" 

He turned to see Faith emerging from the bathroom, her white terrycloth robe wrapped around her and her wet hair dangling down in tangles.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Fred said, disgusted.

Faith walked to the door, a shocked expression on her face. "Fred? What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," he retorted. Before Faith even had the chance to respond, Fred cut her off. "We have one fight and you can't even stay at our apartment? You have to go running to Boscorelli?"

"Fred--" 

"I should have seen it coming. He's all you ever fucking talk about. It's like your whole damned life revolves around him!" 

"Shut up before you say something you're gonna regret," Bosco warned, clenching his hands into fists.

"Stay out of it!" Fred snapped. "This is between me and my wife!" He turned to Faith again. "How long have you been screwing him, huh, Faith?" 

She stared at him, her face drained of all color.

"You son of a bitch," Bosco snarled. 

"Is he the only one? Or are you whoring around with all the guys you work with?" Fred demanded.

Before she had a chance to stop him, Bosco threw Fred up against the door. "Don't you ever--EVER--talk about her that way again! Do you hear me?" He grabbed Fred's jacket collar and held him in place. 

"Bosco, stop!" Faith grabbed his arm and pulled him back away from Fred. Then she looked at her husband. "What are you doing here, Fred? What do you want?" 

"I was looking for you. Guess I found you, huh?" he said sarcastically. He glared at Bosco, then turned his attention to her again. "Dr. Case called me at work. He said you missed your last two appointments. He wants you to call and reschedule as soon as possible," Fred told her bitterly. "So now you know. And by the way, Charlie misses his mother." Without another word, he turned and walked out the door. 

There was a long moment of dead silence. Faith swallowed hard, and with dread, turned to see Bosco staring at her. 

"What appointments?" he asked quietly.

"Bosco--" 

"What appointments, Faith?" 

"Appointments for radiation therapy," she whispered.

"Radiation therapy?" he repeated, stunned. 

She drew in a shaky breath. "I've been getting treatments because awhile back they found a tumor in my breast. They removed it, but the radiation is a precaution so it doesn't come back." 

"A tumor?" His voice was barely audible. "So all those times you took off from work..." 

"My oncologist is in Jersey," she said quietly. 

"And radiation can cause low platelet and red and white blood cell counts," Bosco said slowly. He lifted his gaze to meet her eyes. "Are you all right?" 

Faith nodded. "The doctor said it looks good." 

"How long?" 

"What?" 

"How long have you known?" 

She looked away, unable to face the look of betrayal in his eyes. "A few months." 

There was another moment of silence. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" 

Faith could hear the anger in his voice, and she bit her lip, unable to answer. 

"Why didn't you tell me, Faith?" Bosco demanded, his voice rising. "After everything we've been through, why the hell didn't you tell me?" 

She tried to respond, but when she opened her mouth, no sound came out.

"It's because you didn't think I could handle it, wasn't it? Just like you didn't think Fred could handle knowing what happened to you." He shook his head, furious. "It's not your place to decide what people can handle or not. I'm not one of your kids, Faith!"

"Boz--" 

"Leave me the hell alone!" Bosco stormed out the door, slamming it shut behind him. 

Faith slid down against the living room wall and sank down to the floor. She pulled her knees to her chest and put her head in her hands and began to cry.


	15. Chapter 15

Title: No Mercy (15/?)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. The first song is "Blurry" by Puddles of Mud; the second song is "Full of Grace" by the Goddess of Music, Sarah McLachlan.

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

Special thanks to Dem for helping me get unstuck on this part. :)

* * *

No Mercy (Part 15)

Everything's so blurry  
And everyone's so fake  
And everybody's empty  
And everything is so messed up  
Pre-occupied without you  
I cannot live at all  
My whole world surrounds you  
I stumble then I crawl

Bosco gripped onto the steering wheel of his mustang and stared straight ahead of him as he drove. He barely noticed the cold air rushing in from the open windows.

He couldn't believe Faith had kept this from him. Something so important--something so life-altering. They were partners. More than that, they were friends. Best friends. 

And she didn't tell him. She could have been dying and he hadn't known. What if something had happened while they were on duty? What if she had gotten sick and he hadn't been able to help her because he didn't know what was wrong? 

What if she had died and--

Bosco slammed his fist against the wheel, the pain yanking him out of his thoughts. Forget her, he told himself, throwing the mustang into park. I don't even care. He jerked the keys out of the ignition, then climbed out of his car, slamming the door closed.

I don't need her anyway, he thought. Then, angrily, he turned and kicked the front tire of his car.

* * *

Angela Boscorelli wiped down the bar as one of the men across from her smiled and asked if he could buy her a drink.

She smiled back. "No, honey, but thanks. I'm involved with someone." 

"That's too bad," the man said with a sigh and a shrug. 

"Hey, Angela. Ain't that your son?" Donna, one of the waitresses asked, nodding toward the corner booth.

Angela followed her friend's gaze and nodded slightly. "Yeah." 

"Want me to cover for you?" 

She almost turned down the offer. Maurice hadn't even bothered to come over and say hi or let her know he was there; obviously he wasn't there to see her. But something about the way he was sitting--leaned back against the booth, his eyes focused on the ceiling--struck a chord somewhere within her.

Something wasn't right.

Angela glanced over at Donna again. "Yeah, would you?"

"Sure." Donna walked behind the bar and took the rag from her.

Taking a deep breath, Angela walked over to her eldest son's table.

* * *

It took Bosco a few moments to realize someone was standing next to him. He turned his head to see who it was. "Hey, Ma." 

"Can I sit down?" she asked.

He shrugged. 

She sat down across from him. "What's wrong, Maurice?"

"Nothing." 

"You want somethin' to drink?" she offered. "On the house." 

"Nah. Thanks." He stared up at the ceiling again. He'd come in there with every intention of getting hammered, but the moment he sat down, that appealing idea had dissolved. 

"So if nothing's wrong and you don't want to drink, why are you here?" 

He shrugged again.

You could be my someone  
You could be my scene  
You know that I'll protect you  
From all of the obscene  
I wonder what you're doing   
I wonder where you are  
There's oceans in between us  
But that's not very far

"Is this the only damned song there is?" Bosco demanded. "I heard the same one in my car on the way here!"

Can you take it all away?  
Can you take it all away?  
Well, ya shoved it in my face  
This pain you gave to me...

"What's going on with you, Maurice?" his mother asked, frowning.

"I already told you. Nothing's wrong with me." 

She sighed heavily. "Why won't you let me help you?" 

He didn't answer.

"Let me guess. Either it's work-related or it has to do with a woman." 

Bosco smirked. "Try both." 

She leaned back against the both. "So what happened with you and Faith?" 

He jerked his head up and stared at her across the table. "How did you know it had to do with Faith?" 

"I'm a mother. I know these things," she said with a shrug. "Besides, you don't get this upset about some woman you've only known for five minutes." 

Bosco laid his head back against the booth.

"So what happend with her to make you so upset?" His mother pulled a cigarette out of her pocket and lit it. 

He stared at the ceiling. "She didn't tell me something that she should have."

"Yeah, like what?" 

"Like it doesn't matter. She should have told me, and she didn't. I had a right to know," he said angrily.

"Why? You're not married to her." 

He stared at her, thrown by her words. He couldn't figure out why, but her remark disturbed him. Besides, whose side was she on, anyway? 

"I mean, what makes you think you had the right to know whatever it is she didn't tell you?" She took a long drag off her cigarette and waited for his response.

"Because we're partners," Bosco said, feeling his defenses rise even higher. 

"So what? You work together. I work with Donna there, but I don't tell her everything," his mom said, nodding toward the woman behind the bar. 

He shook his head. "It's different. Me and Faith, we're--" Bosco tried to find the words to explain it, but he couldn't. "It's just different." He felt himself growing angry all over again. "It doesn't matter. I don't even care." 

His mother smirked. "For someone who doesn't matter and that you don't care about, you sure are awfully upset, Maurice." There was a moment of silence. Then she sighed. "Do you want some advice?" 

"Not really." 

She leaned forward and patted his hand. "Too bad. You're gonna get some anyway. How long have you and Faith been partners?" 

"Ma." 

"How long?" 

"Seven years." 

"That's a long time, Maurice. You two have been through a lot together. You really willing to give that up because she didn't tell you something you think she should have?" His mother shook her head. 

"Look, Ma, you don't know what's going on, all right?" 

"Maybe not," she conceeded. "But did you even give her a chance to tell you why she didn't tell you whatever it was she didn't tell you?" 

Bosco just looked at her. 

"That's what I thought." His mother stood up and rubbed her cigarette out in the ash tray on the table. "Look, baby, it's up to you. But keep in mind you're not always the easiest person to be around, either, and if she's stuck with you for seven years..." She shrugged. "Just don't do something you're gonna regret later. I gotta get back to work." She kissed the top of his head and walked away.

Bosco stared down at the tabletop, lost in thought. 

* * *

The winter here's cold and bitter  
It chills us to the bone  
We haven't seen the sun for weeks  
Too long, too far from home

Faith opened the closet door and picked up the suitcase Bosco had brought from her apartment after she'd been released from the hospital. She set it down on the bed and opened it. 

I feel just like I'm sinking  
And I claw for solid ground  
I'm pulled down by the undertow  
I never thought I could feel so low  
But oh, darkness, I feel like letting go

Numbly she began to pull her clothes off the hangers and fold them up. Then she tucked them neatly into the suitcase.

If all of the strength and all of the courage  
Come and lift me from this place  
I know I could love you much better than this  
Full of grace  
Full of grace  
My love

Faith swallowed hard, blinking back tears as she worked. She had seen Bosco angry before--quite a few times, in fact. And he'd been mad at her on more than one occasion, as well. But she'd never seen the look he had in his eyes when he asked her how long she'd known about her cancer. That combination of anger and hurt and betrayal. It was at that moment that she'd known he was never going to forgive her. She'd be lucky if he ever even spoke to her again. He'd undoubtedly be requesting a new partner to work with. 

The pain in her chest from trying not to cry nearly took her breath away. 

She considered briefly the fact that she was more upset because of what happened with Bosco than she was about what happened with her husband. What did that mean? 

She shoved the thought aside, too upset and tired to attempt to analyze her feelings right then. 

Faith reached into the closet and went to grab her last shirt. Her hand brushed against Bosco's NYPD sweatshirt and she paused. She pulled it off the hanger and held it in her hands for a moment. 

So it's better this way, I say  
Having seen this place before  
Where everything we say and do  
Hurts us all the more  
It's just that we stayed  
Too long in the same old sickly skin

She tugged the sweatshirt on over the t-shirt she was wearing, tears escaping her eyes at the same time as a sob escaped her throat. Too exhausted to fight it any longer, Faith backed up until she sat down hard on the edge of the bed and began to cry again. The sobbing made her ribs ache and the pain caused her to cry even harder. 

She'd lost everything now. Everything.

I'm pulled down by the undertow  
I never thought I could feel so low  
But, oh, darkness, I feel like letting go

* * *

"I think Carlos is starting to suspect," Alex said as she lay in Ty's arms that night. 

"How can he not? Anytime we're not here, we're at my place." His voice was distant, distracted. 

She frowned and propped herself up on one elbow to look at him. "What's wrong?" 

"What? Nothing." 

"Come on, I know you better than that. I can tell something's bothering you." 

"You're gonna think it's stupid." 

"You won't know that until you tell me," she pointed out. 

Ty sighed. "That guy....Richards..." 

"The rapist?" 

He nodded. "He got close to you. Too close." 

Alex frowned. "Ty--" 

"I wasn't there to protect you. Anything could have happened." 

"I'm okay." 

"Al, he could have hurt you." 

"But he didn't." 

"But he could have." 

"You can't be with me 24/7. I don't expect you to be," she said softly. "I know it's hard for you to believe, but I'm pretty good at taking care of myself." 

"I know you are. I know that. See? I told you...it's stupid." Ty shook his head.

"It's not stupid. It's sweet. And I'm flattered that you care about me that much," Alex told him seriously. 

He looked at her a moment, opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. 

"What else?" she pressed. 

"Nothing." 

"Ty," she warned. 

"I love you." 

She stared at him with wide eyes. "What?" 

He fixed his gaze on her face. "I love you. I didn't realize it until today...I knew I liked spending time with you and talking to you, but....it hit me today when I found out how close that bastard got to you...that....I love you. And I don't want to lose you." He ran his fingers through her hair. 

"You love me?" 

Ty grinned. "Yeah. I do." 

Alex leaned down to kiss him on the lips. "I love you, too." 

"Good. I was worried there for a minute," he admitted, kissing her back. 

"Let me ease those worries," she whispered, gazing into his eyes. 

* * *

Bosco paused at his apartment door. He leaned against the wall for a moment, struggling with urge to turn around and leave again. His mother's voice echoed in his mind. "You two have been through a lot together. You really willing to give that up because she didn't tell you something you think she should have?"

He took a deep breath and reached into his coat pocket, pulling out his keys. He found the key to the apartment and quickly unlocked the door and opened it. He deposited the keys onto the kitchen counter and looked up to see Faith standing a few feet away from him, frozen in place. She had her coat on. His gaze dropped to the suitcase she held in her hand. "You going someplace?" he asked, swallowing hard. 

She nodded slowly. "Yeah. I-uh-I packed up all my stuff, and I put your lasagna in the fridge so it doesn't go bad. I'm going home." 

"You shouldn't go back there," he said, shaking his head. 

"I'll be okay. The guy's in jail, so I'm not in danger anymore. I'll--I'll just get out of your way," she said quietly, moving past him toward the door. 

"Faith, wait." 

She stopped, and turned around to face him again. Her eyes were red-rimmed from crying. They stared at each other for a long time.

"Don't go," Bosco said softly. Her eyes filled with tears and he crossed the distance between them. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and the suitcase clattered to the floor.

"I'm sorry, Boz...I'm sorry. I should have told you," she whispered. 

"Shhh. Forget about it. It's in the past," he said, surprised to realize he meant it. He stroked her hair gently. 

She pulled away to look at him. "It wasn't that I thought you couldn't handle it, Bosco. That's not it, I swear. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to see me like this." 

"Like what?" he asked, confused. 

"Weak," Faith answered, looking away. 

He stared at her, stunned. "Is that how you think I see you now?" 

She didn't answer. 

"Faith, I don't think you're weak," Bosco said, shaking his head. 

"Come on, I'm a mess." She brought a hand up to her face and wiped away her tears. 

"You're holding it together a lot better than most people would," he said. When she didn't reply again, he touched her face with one hand. "Look at me." 

Faith met his gaze. 

"It's not your job to hold everything together all the time." 

"Yes, it is. It's what I've always done. It's the only thing I know how to do, Bosco. And if I can't do that, then...who am I?" she asked, shaking her head. 

"You're Faith," he told her quietly. "And you don't have to hold things together for me. I don't need you to protect me, all right? I'm a big boy. I can handle it." 

"And if I can't?" Faith whispered. 

"Then we'll handle it together," Bosco promised. He pulled her back into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held on tightly. "Just the two of us." 


	16. 16

Title: No Mercy (16/?)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. 

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

Special thanks to Ally for her help with some of the medical stuff. Also to Dem, for helping me get unstuck. :)

* * *

No Mercy (Part 16)

Faith sat in one of the uncomfortable waiting room chairs next to Bosco. Her head rested against the wall as she stared out the window. "Thanks for coming with me," she said quietly.

"Sure," he replied nonchalantly, nodding.

"You know, Bosco...I'm out of danger now and I would understand if you wanted to get back to your own life." 

He turned his head to look at her. "Hey, we've been over this. I'm here cause I want to be, all right? I'm not going anywhere." 

She met his gaze and held it. Then she nodded slowly. "Okay." 

He opened his mouth to say something, the closed it again. 

Faith frowned. It wasn't like him to have something to say and hesitate to say it. "What?" 

"What?" 

"You look like you want to say something." 

"Nope." 

"Mrs. Yokas." The nurse appeared in the doorway, holding her chart.

Faith and Bosco stood up and followed her down the hallway to an exam room. 

"Dr. Case will be in with you shortly," the nurse told her. 

"Okay, thanks." Faith sat down on the exam table and Bosco remained standing, leaning against the wall for support. "You can sit down," she said, nodding toward one of the chairs.

"Nah, I've had enough of those things," he responded, making a face.

She sat quietly, staring at the floor. She remembered a few months ago when she'd been at this hospital with Fred, waiting for the test results of her biopsy. He'd been so impatient, so frustrated he'd actually suggested they get up and leave because the doctor was running late.

Faith snuck a glance at Bosco to see how he was handling the long wait. He was staring into space. She bit her lip, unable to read his expression. 

The door opened a moment later, and Dr. Case walked in. "Faith, Fr--" he cut himself off, looking at Bosco with surprise. 

"Dr. Case, this is my friend Maurice Boscorelli. Boz, this is Dr. Case," she said.

Dr. Case shook Bosco's hand. "Nice to meet you." He looked at her. "Will Fred be coming?" 

"Uh...no. He won't," she answered quietly. 

"Okay." He glanced through her chart. "You missed your last two appointments." 

"I know." 

He studied her silently.

"It's been a long couple of weeks," Faith told him, tiredly.

"Faith, I don't mean to sound condescending, but it's very important that you don't miss your treatment sessions." 

"I know it is. I do. It won't happen again." She hesitated. "What do we do now? Since I haven't been here? Increase the amount of radiation?" 

"No, your dosage will stay the same. But you'll have to make up the two missed sessions." 

She nodded, feeling relieved that he wasn't increasing the radiation dosage.

"All right. If you're ready, I'll take you down for your treatment." 

Faith set her purse on the floor next to one of the chairs and glanced at Bosco.

Dr. Case looked from her to him. "Feel free to wait here, if you'd like. Or you can go back to the waiting room." 

"No, I'll--stay here," Bosco told them, stuffing his hands in his jeans pockets.

She met his eyes for a second, then turned and followed Dr. Case down the hallway. "Dr. Case?"

"Yes, Faith?" 

"I was hoping you could talk to Bosco for me." 

He raised his eyebrows and waited for her to continue.

"It's just that...well, I think he has some questions about my cancer and treatments and I don't think he's comfortable asking me about it." And I'm not sure I could convince I'm okay, anyway, she added silently.

Dr. Case led her into the radiation room. "Sure. I'm more than happy to answer any questions he may have." 

"Hi, Faith," Doreena, the radiation therapist said, smiling at her. 

"Hi." She turned to look at her doctor again. "Thanks, Dr. Case." 

"Sure."

* * *

Bosco stared out the exam room window, tension gripping his body. 

"Mr. Boscorelli?" 

He turned to see Faith's doctor standing in the doorway. "Is something wrong?" he asked, feeling alarmed.

"No, no. Everything's fine," Dr. Case assured him. "I thought you might have some questions about Faith's condition and treatments." 

"She send you in here?" 

A look of surprised crossed the other man's face. "Yes, actually." 

Bosco almost smiled. "I figured." 

"Is there anything you'd like to ask?" 

He nodded. "Is she gonna be okay?" 

"Well, as you probably know, we did a surgical procedure called a lumpectomy. That means we removed the tumor in its entirity."

"And you got all of it?" 

Dr. Case nodded. "Yes." 

"So then what's the radiation for?" 

"The radiation therapy is strictly precaution, just to make sure that there's no regrowth." 

Bosco stared at him. "Regrowth?" 

"With any type of cancer--even if the original tumor is removed--there's always a chance of regrowth. But that's the purpose of the radiation treatments. To decrease that chance." 

He looked away, determined not to worry about that unless given a reason to worry. He bit his lip. "Is this gonna make her sick? The radiation, I mean." 

"Well, with her previous treatments, the only symptom Faith has reported is fatigue." 

"So you think she'll be okay?" 

"I have every confidence that she's going to be just fine, Mr. Boscorelli." 

He nodded. "Thanks." 

"Sure." Dr. Case left the room.

"Feel any better?" 

Bosco turned to see Faith leaning against the door frame. "You're done already?" 

She nodded. "The treatments don't last very long." Faith looked at him, and tucked a strand of strawberry blond hair behind her ear. "Get all your questions answered?" 

"For now." 

"If you have anymore, you can always ask me. You know that, right?" 

Bosco studied her for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I will." He took a deep breath. "You ready to go?" 

"Yeah, definitely. Let's get out of here." 

* * *

Bosco watched as Fatih sat completely still in her seat, waiting for the detectives to lead Don Richards into the interrogation room, which was currently empty. He saw her gaze locked on the two-way mirror before them. He walked over and sat down next to her. "You okay?" 

"I just wanna get this over with," she muttered.

He nodded in understanding. "Well, hopefully Tweedledum and Tweedledee will hurry up so we can go home." As soon as he said the words, he felt guilty. Detective Masters was a decent guy, and Bosco had nothing against him. Flannigan, on the other hand...he was a whole other story. Bosco scowled just at the thought of the jerk's name.

As if on cue, the two detectives entered the room. Bosco and Faith stood up. They both shook hands with Masters. Flannigan hung back at the back of the room, looking bored.

"Officer Bradley's bringing him in," Masters told them.

Faith nodded and turned her attention to the two-way mirror again. Bosco stood beside her. He could feel the tension rolling off her in waves. He reached out and gave her shoulder a brief, reassuring squeeze.

She looked at him wordlessly and gave him a nervous smile.

A moment later, the door to the interrogation room opened and Officer Bradley escorted Richards into the room in handcuffs. 

"Sit," Bradley ordered. Richards sat down at the table obediently, facing the two-way mirror. 

Bosco's hands clenched at his sides and it took all of his inner willpower not to go to the next door and kill the son-of-a-bitch with his bare hands. Taking a slow, deep breath to calm himself, he turned to see his partner's reaction. 

Her face was drained of all color. Immediately his anger gave way to concern. She looked like she was going to faint. "Faith?" 

Her gaze never leaving Richards' face, she whispered, "It's not him." 

His eyes widened. "What?" 

Faith shook her head slightly. "It's not the guy, Bosco." There was no hint of uncertainty in her voice.

"Shit," Bosco cursed, turning to glare at the two detectives who were talking quietly in the back. "You've got the wrong guy!" 

"What?" Masters asked, confused. 

"He isn't the rapist," he spat, jerking his thumb toward the mirror.

"Bullshit," Flannigan said.

"Excuse me?" 

"I said, 'bullshit.' This is the right guy. He matches the description she gave us," he said, pointing at Faith. "Not to mention the car was registered to him, and he gave us a full confession!" 

"It's not him, " Faith said quietly. "He has the same general appearance, but...it's not the same guy." 

"You're wrong," Flannigan accused.

"Shut up!" Bosco snapped. "Did you guys even pull Alex Taylor in here to make sure it was the same guy from the accident?" 

The detectives exchanged a look, but remained silent.

"I figured," he said, disgusted.

"Why the hell would he confess to raping a bunch of women if he didn't do it? He'd have to be nuts," Flannigan said, shaking his head.

"Or protecting someone," Bosco pointed out. 

"No one's stupid enough to take a rape rap for someone else." 

"Unless he's being blackmailed for something even worse," Masters said suddenly, looking at Bosco.

"I need some air." Without another word, Faith turned and left the room. 

Bosco started after her when Masters grabbed his arm. "You realize what this means?" 

"Yeah, that the lowlife bastard is still out there somewhere," Bosco said harshly.

"That even if we catch the real rapist, because this guy's confessed, it's gonna be damned hard, if not impossible to convince a jury to prosecute." 

Bosco stared at the detective for a moment. Then darkly, he replied, "Who says if we find him he'll even live long enough to *need* a jury?" His mouth twisted into a smile. He turned and left the room to look for Faith, leaving the detectives to stare after him.

* * *

Bosco unlocked the door to his apartment and held it open for Faith. He followed her inside. She'd barely said two words since he'd found her outside the 55 sitting on the steps and staring at the sidewalk. "Why don't I order us a supreme with extra cheese?" he suggested, dropping his keys onto the kitchen counter.

"You go ahead. I'm not really hungry. I think I'm just gonna take a hot shower." 

"Faith." 

She looked at him.

"We will catch him." 

"Sure, Boz." Her tone wasn't sarcastic, or bitter. It was much worse than that. It was defeated.

Bosco watched as she disappeared down the hallway. He swallowed hard, feeling as though he'd let her down. His mind flashed back to after the attack, when he first saw her lying in that hospital bed. He remembered his vow to make sure whoever had put her there paid in a very big way. He hadn't kept that promise. A surge of anger jolted through his body and Bosco felt the sudden, barely controllable urge to put his fist through a wall. Or better yet, through the bastard's face.

He had to get his anger under control before Faith came back out. He didn't want her to think he was upset with her. He took a deep breath and leaned back against the counter.

He kept assuring Faith that they were going to catch the rapist, but when he was honest with himself, Bosco wasn't feeling so confident that was going to happen now. He clenched his fists at his sides. No. I'll catch him, he told himself. No matter what it takes, I'll catch him.

* * *

Bosco heard a knock on his door awhile later, and he quickly abandoned the pasta he was boiling to make spaghetti. He opened the door and saw Alex Taylor and Kim Zambrano standing there. "Hey." 

"Hey. Sorry to just drop by. We wanted to see how Faith was," Alex told him.

"Is she still here?" Kim asked.

"Uh, yeah." 

"We thought she might have gone home since the guy's been arrested," Alex explained.

Bosco stared at them. "You haven't heard?" 

The two women exchanged a look. "Heard what?" Kim questioned, frowning.

"They got the wrong guy." 

"What?" 

"You're kidding me!" Alex exclaimed, staring at him. 

He shook his head. 

"How's Faith?" 

Bosco looked at Kim. "She hasn't said much, so I don't know." He shrugged, and held the door open for them. "Maybe you guys can cheer her up." 

"We'll do our best," Alex promised, slipping out of her jacket and stepping inside. 

"Thanks." He closed the door after they were both in the apartment. "She's watching tv," he said, gesturing to the living room. Bosco watched as they walked into the other room, his gaze lingering on Faith for a moment. Then he sighed heavily and walked back into the kitchen.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Faith asked, looking surprised as Alex and Kim stepped into the living room. 

"We came to see you. See how you were," Alex said, sitting down on the opposite end of the sofa as Faith. Kim perched on the edge of the chair. 

"It was the wrong guy," she said quietly, looking away.

"Yeah, Bosco told us," Kim said, studying her. "How are you doing?" 

"I'm okay," Faith answered, meeting her gaze briefly. 

There was a moment of silence. 

Alex looked at Kim for a moment, then turned her attention to Faith. "It's nice of Bosco to let you stay here." 

"Yeah, it is. He's been great." Faith looked at her. "So...how are...things?" 

Her gaze flickered to Kim, who was watching her carefully. "Things are...things are really good." 

"If you're talking about that thing that's going on with you and Davis, I know all about it, so you don't have to talk in code," Kim said with a slight smile.

Alex stared at her. "You know?" She turned to look at Faith.

"She didn't say anything," Kim assured her. 

"Then how--?" 

"Oh, come on. Everyone knows." 

"Everyone?" Alex repeated, shocked.

"Well, not Carlos. I think he's still under the impression Davis is gay." 

Faith stared at Kim. "He thinks Davis is gay?" 

Kim nodded solemnly.

Faith started laughing. "Why the hell would he think that?" 

"Something about your sergeant telling him that," Alex said, laughing with her. 

"Sergeant Christopher?"

"Yeah, I think that's the one." 

"And Carlos believed him?" Faith shook her head. 

All three women laughed. 

"So is it serious? You and Davis?" Kim questioned, leaning back in the chair. 

"It's...." Alex couldn't help the smile that crept onto her lips. "Yeah, it's serious. He, uh...he told me he loved me." 

"That's great! I'm happy for you. Davis is a great guy," Faith said, nodding her approval. 

"Yeah, he is. He really is." 

There was a moment of comfortable silence. 

"How's Joey?" Alex asked, glancing at Kim.

"He's good." Kim took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "The custody hearing is only two weeks away." 

"Custody hearing?" Faith stared at her. 

"You didn't know?" 

She shook her head.

Kim rested her head on her hand. "Jimmy's suiing for full custody." 

"Are you kidding me?" 

"Unfortunately not." 

"Kim, I'm so sorry," Faith said sympathetically. "I had no idea." 

"He doesn't think I can handle taking care of Joey after--" Kim cut herself off and looked away, unable to finish her thought. "But he's wrong. What happened was a mistake. I know that. And he's going to punish me by taking my son away from me." 

"What judge in his right mind would give Jimmy full custody of any kid?" Alex wondered, shaking her head. 

"Well, it hasn't happened yet. It's not a sure thing," Faith pointed out. 

"I'm just...really scared," Kim admitted, running a hand through her hair. "I don't know what to do." 

"Maybe you should talk to him," Faith suggested.

"To Jimmy?" 

Faith nodded.

"Every time we talk we end up fighting." She sighed heavily and shook her head. "We've been having visits from a social worker. She's going to advise the judge on who's the most fit parent." 

Alex reached over and patted her arm gently. "I'm sure that she'll tell the judge what a great mom you are to Joey." 

"I hope so," Kim said softly.

"I don't know about anyone else, but I could use something to drink," Alex said, standing up. "You guys want anything?" 

"No, thanks." 

"No, I'm all right," Faith told her.

"Okay. I'll be right back." Alex walked into the kitchen and paused, watching as Bosco added homeade spaghetti sauce to the pasta he was cooking. He was pouring it without watching what he was doing; his eyes were elsewhere. She followed his line of sight and saw he was looking at Faith. "Hey, Bosco?" 

"Geez!" He took a step back as spaghetti sauce splattered onto the stovetop. "What?" 

"Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you," Alex said, amused. "I was wondering if I could get a glass of water or something." 

Bosco took a deep breath. "Sure." He reached up into the cabinet and pulled out a glass. He handed it to her. "Ice is in the freezer." 

"Good place for it," she remarked, pulling open the freezer door. She grabbed a handful of ice cubes and dropped them into the glass. She filled it with tap water and turned to leave the kitchen. Then she paused and turned to look at Bosco again. His gaze was back on Faith, who was laughing at something Kim had said. She watched him for a moment. "You're in love with her." 

"What?" He blinked and turned his head to look at her. 

"You're in love with her," she repeated, a bit louder this time. "I can't believe it...Carlos was actually right about something," she muttered to herself. 

"In love with who?" he asked, confused.

"Faith." 

"What? No, I'm not," Bosco denied. 

"Right." 

"I'm not! You're nuts!" he exclaimed, shaking his head furiously.

"Oh, am I?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

"If you think I'm in love with Yokas, you must be." 

"Okay." She shrugged.

"I am *not* in love with Faith!" Bosco glared at her. "I don't know who told you that, but they were wrong!" 

"Hey, Bosco?" 

"What?" he growled.

"Your spaghetti's boiling over," she said nonchalantly, nodding her head towards the pot on the stove.

"Shit," Bosco cursed, quickly grabbing the heat-resistant gloves off the counter and picking it up. "Damn it." 

She quickly moved over and turned the heat down to low. "Relax. These things happen," Alex assured him as he set the pot back down and wiped up the mess with a rag from the sink.

He looked at her for a moment. "I'm not," Bosco said again. 

"Okay. Sorry. My mistake." She turned and headed back into the living room. "Oh, yeah. Methinks he doth protest too much." 

* * *

Bosco sat watching the television on one end of the couch as Faith sat on the other end, her feet curled up under her. But he wasn't paying any attention to the 10'o clock news. 

In love with Faith? Yeah, right, he thought, rolling his eyes. He was going to have to have a serious talk with Davis one of these days about the women his fellow officer decided to date. He hadn't really been around Taylor that much, but she had always seemed fairly down-to-earth. Clearly he'd been under a false impression of the girl. She's in need of some serious psychological help.

He glanced sideways at his partner, who was watching the news intently. He returned his gaze to the tv screen. She's not even my type, he thought, shaking his head. Why the hell would anyone think I was in love with her? 

Faith yawned. 

Bosco looked at her again. "You tired?" 

She hesitated, her eyes never leaving the television. "Kinda. I just don't really want to go to sleep right now." 

He grabbed the pillow that was lying next to him and laid it on his lap. "Here." He patted it with his hand.

"I'm okay." 

Bosco raised an eyebrow. 

Faith rolled her eyes. Then she yawned again, her eyelids drooping. With a sigh, she stretched out on the couch and laid her head down on the pillow in his lap. She tucked one hand underneath her head and let the other rest on her leg. 

"Better?" 

"Much," she admitted, yawning for a third time. 

Bosco gently brushed the hair out of her eyes. Within moments, she'd fallen asleep. He watched her sleep for a few moments, then focused his attention back on the tv. That lasted a whole thirty seconds. His gaze immediately dropped to her face again, and he stared at her, swallowing hard. Memories of various times in their friendship and partnership flashed through his mind. She'd been there for him so many times. She was the only person he knew without a doubt that he could depend on. She accepted him the way he was, never asked him to change. 

He remembered his conversation with his mother the previous day.

"I mean, what makes you think you had the right to know whatever it is she didn't tell you?" 

"Because we're partners." 

"So what? You work together. I work with Donna there, but I don't tell her everything."

"It's different. Me and Faith, we're--" Bosco tried to find the words to explain it, but he couldn't. "It's just different." 

Why is it different? he asked himself, feeling uneasy. 

Sure, he and Faith were partners. He didn't always tell her everything. So why did it bother him so much that Faith didn't tell him about her cancer? 

Because we're friends, Bosco thought. 

When he thought about it, that didn't feel quite right, either. He was friends with Davis, too, and he didn't expect Davis to tell him personal things. 

Bosco looked down at Faith's sleeping form again. Her face was relaxed, almost peaceful for a change. Her strawberry blond hair was fanned out on the pillow, a few strands brushing against his fingers. 

"You're in love with her." 

"In love with who?" he asked, confused.

"Faith." 

"What? No, I'm not!"

He shook his head. It was ridiculous. He was not in love with Faith! 

Bosco recalled how angry he'd been with Fred the night before. Even before the man had opened his mouth, Bosco had wanted to beat the crap out of him just for having the nerve to show up at his apartment looking for Faith. Like the jerk had any right to see her after everything that had happened. 

"She's my wife. I have the right to see her," Fred said angrily.

"Your rights ended the day you walked out on her. Now get the hell out of my apartment. And stay the hell away from Faith. She doesn't want to see you." 

He and Fred had never gotten along well, but he hadn't thought Fred was a bad guy. He remembered the look on Faith's face when Fred had accused her of sleeping with all the guys at the 55. No one--not even her husband--had the right to talk to her like that. He wished that he'd never encouraged Faith to stay with the bastard when she'd been considering divorce a couple years back. If he had only known then what he knew now...

Bosco's gaze rested on her face again. 

"You're in love with her."

No, I'm not, he thought stubbornly.

"Right."

He swallowed hard, realizing no matter how much protesting he had done, Taylor hadn't believed him. 

Why would she? She's not stupid, the little voice inside him whispered.

Bosco shook his head. No, it can't be. I'm not in love with Faith! I'm not!

Okay, the voice said doubtfully.

Shit. He wasn't in love with her, was he? He couldn't be! They worked together, they were friends, she was married for God's sake!

"Relax. These things happen," Alex's words echoed in his mind.

Bosco's eyes widened. "Son of a--"


	17. 17

Title: No Mercy (17/?)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. 

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

Special thanks to CCA and mauriceboscorelli for the info. I asked about! :) 

Author's Note: If parts of this aren't totally accurate, please forgive me as I don't have any episodes beyond third season taped and my memory tends to fail me. 

* * *

No Mercy (Part 17)

"Sergeant Christopher is passing around a picture from a survelliance video at the Bigfoot on Walsh Avenue. One of the suspects has been identified as Don Smith, who's wanted in connection to three previous robberies in addition to this one," Lt. Stick informed them.

Faith took a copy of the black and white picture Christopher handed her and studied it for a moment before glancing at Bosco, who was sitting just to her left. He seemed distracted. He'd been acting strangely all morning and she wasn't sure why. She frowned.

"More importantly, we still have a rapist on the loose. For those of you who don't know it, Officer Yokas came in yesterday to identify the man in custody and it was the wrong man. So everyone continue searching for him as well." 

She could feel everyone looking at her as the lieutenant spoke. She did her best to ignore it. 

"All right, that's it. Eyes and ears open out there," Lt. Stick said, dismissing them from roll call. "Yokas, stay back." 

She looked up, surprised. She glanced over at Bosco again, who also looked surprised. He looked over at her and shrugged. They both stood up and walked to the front. "Lieu?"

"There's someone here to see you," Lt. Stick informed her. 

"Where?" Faith asked, frowning.

He nodded to the interrogation room across the hall. 

Her frown deepened. She exchanged a look with Bosco as they headed out the door. "I'll be back." 

"I'll get the radios," he said, nodding.

She watched as he disappeared down the hallway and around the corner. Then she walked over to the interrogation room across the hall and opened the door.

The person inside turned around to face her. 

Faith froze. "Fred. What are you doing here?" 

* * *

Bosco removed two police radios from the shelf in the equipment room. 

"What's up with Yokas?" Davis asked, grabbing a radio for him and one for Sully.

"Beats me," he muttered. "Someone's here to see her." 

"Weird." 

"You know what else is weird? Your girlfriend." 

Davis frowned. "What?" 

"Hate to be the one to break it to you, man, but she's a total lunatic," Bosco informed him. He turned to leave the room.

"Whoa, Bosco. What are you talking about?" Davis asked in confusion.

"She and Kim came over to my place last night to see Faith." 

"Yeah, and--?" 

"And for some reason, she's got it in her head that I'm in love with Yokas!" 

Davis raised his eyebrows. "Are you?" 

Bosco stared at him in disbelief. "We're partners, Davis!" 

Davis didn't respond, he just stared at Bosco.

"She's married!" 

"Yeah, and no one ever falls for someone who's married."

"I'm not falling for her!" Bosco said angrily, glaring at him. "You're just as crazy as your girlfriend, you know that, Davis?" 

He watched Bosco storm out of the room and shook his head. Nope, Bosco wasn't falling for Yokas. He already had. "Oh, boy," Davis muttered under his breath. He shook his head and followed Bosco out the door.

* * *

"We need to talk, Faith," Fred said, not looking at her.

She nodded quickly, her heart pounding. "Okay." 

There was a moment of silence.

"I'm moving back into the apartment," he told her, gazing at the tile floor.

"You are?" 

Fred nodded. He motioned to a medium-size box that was on the table. "I brought some of your things." 

Her eyebrows furrowed. "My things?" she repeated, not comprehending.

He finally met her eyes. "Yeah. Stuff you might need. I'll have the rest of it sent to Bosco's later this week." 

"Fred, what are you talking about?" 

"I want a divorce." 

She felt all the air leave her lungs and she stared at him. "What?" 

"I want a divorce," he said again, his voice low and calm.

Faith shook her head in disbelief. This was a joke. It had to be.

"I already have a lawyer. He can handle the whole thing if that's all right with you. I'm willing to have joint custody of the kids. Just because we're having problems doesn't mean they should suffer from it." 

She finally found her voice. "Why are you doing this to me?" 

Fred stared at her. "You're kidding me, right? Why am I doing this to you? If you want to blame somebody, blame yourself. Blame Bosco!" 

"Bosco?" 

"Yeah, you know. The guy you've been living with for the past three weeks. Your partner," he spat. All the calmness had left his face.

"Fred--"

"Did you really think I'd stay with you after this? That I'd want Boscorelli's leftovers?" Fred demanded, his voice rising.

"I'm not having an affair with Bosco!" 

"You're just living with him. I'm sure it's all very innocent, isn't it, Faith?" he said bitterly.

"Yeah, it is," she said quietly.

"Right." 

Her shock and hurt gave way to a torrent of anger. "You want to know why I've been staying with Bosco, Fred?" Despite how upset she was, her voice was calm. Eerily calm, even to her own ears.

Fred folded his arms across his chest and didn't respond.

"I was raped." 

The scowl disappeared from his face. "What?" 

"The night you took the kids and left, I came home alone. A man came into our apartment and attacked me. I tried to stop him, I tried to get away, but he hit me with my own gun and knocked me unconscious." Tears rushed to her eyes and she didn't bother to wipe them away. "He's still out there somewhere, Fred! That's why I've been staying with Bosco! Because the detectives seem to think he may try to come after me again since I'm the only one who can identify him!" 

There was a moment of total silence as Fred stared at her. "Why didn't you call me? Why didn't you tell me, Faith?" 

"Why? So you could be your usual supportive self?" she asked bitterly.

"Oh, and I'm sure Bosco's been real damned supportive!" he snapped.

"For your information, Bosco's been very supportive! He's been there for me through this whole nightmare, just like he always is when you're not!" 

"When have I not been there for you when you needed me?" Fred demanded.

"How about when I found out I had cancer?" 

"I was there for you!" 

"No, you were in denial! You wouldn't even talk to me about it!" she said angrily.

"I was scared, Faith!" 

"And I wasn't?" The tears spilled down her cheeks. "I was terrified, Fred. I was afraid I was going to die and I had to hide that fear because you couldn't handle it! That's why I didn't call you when I was raped, because I couldn't deal with your pain and mine, too!"

They stared at each other for a long time.

"You know what? If Bosco's such a great, supportive guy like you say he is, why the fuck don't you just marry him?" Fred suggested, glaring at her.

She just shook her head. "Fine, Fred. You want a divorce? You got it." Faith turned around and shoved the door open with such force that it slammed against the outside wall. She stormed down the hallway. Fuck Fred. She didn't need him. 

* * *

Bosco glanced at his watch for the third time in ten minutes and sighed impatiently, bouncing up and down slightly on the balls of his feet. He just wanted to get out of the station house and get some air. At that moment, the interrogation room door flew open and slammed against the wall. Faith took off in the opposite direction down the hall.

"Faith?" he called. She didn't stop. Hell, she didn't even slow down. 

"Was that Yokas?" Sully asked as he came out of the bathroom, frowning.

"Yeah." He started to follow her when he caught sight of a figure standing in the open doorway of the room she'd just fled from. A surge of uncontrollable anger took hold of him and before he even realized it, he'd crossed the distance between them and had Fred Yokas pinned against the wall. "What the fuck did you do to her now?" he demanded.

"Bosco!" 

He could vaguely hear Sully calling his name and trying to pull him away from Fred, but he ignored him. "What did you say to her? Tell me!" Bosco shouted. 

"Bosco, stop it!" Sully commanded, yanking him away from Faith's husband. 

He shoved the other officer away and lunged at Fred again. He didn't know what the hell was going on, but whatever Faith was upset about it was because of her asshole husband. He doesn't deserve her, he thought viciously, wanting nothing more than to cause the other man physical pain.

"Bosco! Damn it, knock it off right now!" Sully shouted, stepping between him and Fred. "Go after Yokas! Now! Go!" 

Bosco's gaze locked on Sully's face for a moment and he took a breath and tried to get control of his anger. With one last glare at Fred, Bosco walked off in the direction his partner had gone. When he couldn't find her in the building, he headed outside and found her sitting in the driver's seat, tightly gripping onto the wheel. He climbed into the passenger side and looked at her. "You okay?" 

"No," she answered, her voice barely audible. She started the engine of the car and pulled out onto the road, pressing her foot on the accelerator and speeding away down the street without looking back.

* * *

Bosco sat on the hood of the RMP, watching Faith hurl rocks into the water. She hadn't said a word since they left the station. He wanted to know what had happened, wanted to say something--anything--to her, but couldn't find the words. So he waited.

After a few minutes, she walked back to the squad and sat down next to him. Neither of them said anything for several moments.

Then quietly, she said, "I met him in high school. I was sixteen. And the only thing I wanted was to get away from home." 

He glanced at her sideways. Her gaze was fixed on the water before them. 

"My dad was an alcoholic." She blinked a couple times and looked over at him. "Did I ever tell you that?" 

Bosco nodded, but remained quiet, not wanting to interrupt. 

Faith looked away again. "He was never physically abusive, but things never really felt safe at home, you know?"

He nodded again. He could relate to that feeling more than he cared to think about.

"I moved in with Fred right after graduation. I started going to a community college even though I didn't really know what I wanted to do. Two years later I had an Associate's Degree in Science and was six weeks pregnant with Emily." 

Bosco glanced at her, startled. He hadn't thought about it, but now he realized that he should have known that. She and Fred had been married eleven years and Emily was thirteen.

"We were having problems. Arguing about everything. Fred couldn't seem to find a decent job and when he did, he couldn't keep it. I quit school and got a job waitressing. The hourly pay wasn't good, but the tips were amazing." Faith took a short breath. "Two years later, Fred asked me to marry him."

"Why'd he wait so long?" Bosco asked quietly.

"He'd asked me before then. More than once. I didn't want him to feel obligated to marry me because we had Emily. See, that's what my parents did when my mom got pregnant with Stanley. They were never happy together. She tried to hide it, tried to act like everything was fine, but we knew. Kids always know," she said softly. She looked over at him. "Guess I don't have to tell you that, do I?" 

He smiled faintly. "Not really." 

Faith looked away again. "I did love im. So I said yes. We got married at the courthouse a week later." She gazed out over the water. "We've always had problems. Ever since the beginning. But I never thought...never imagined he was capable of saying and doing something of the things he's said and done." 

There was a moment of silence, and Bosco vividly remembered when she arrested her husband for drinking and driving on the way to pick up their kids from school. He closed his eyes briefly, also remembering that he had tried to talk her out of it. 

"Fred wants a divorce," she said quietly, avoiding his eyes. "And I don't think I'm going to fight him on it. I'm not sure I can forgive him for some of the things he said to me." Faith paused. "I know you're probably angry with me." 

"You deserve better," he said, feeling a fresh surge of anger toward Fred, and then toward himself. 

She turned her head to look at him, the surprise clear in her eyes.

He met her gaze. "I mean that. He doesn't deserve you, Faith." And neither do I, he added silently.

"Thank you," Faith said sincerely.

Bosco nodded and stared out at the ocean. "I should never have told you to stay with him before," he said regretfully.

"You just said what you thought was right." 

"Yeah, I opened my big mouth as usual," he retorted.

"Hey." She put her hand on his arm. "You were looking out for Em and Charlie. That means a lot to me." 

"I'd have done them a bigger favor if I'd told you to leave his sorry ass." 

Faith looked away. "No matter what else he may be, he loves the kids and he's a good father." 

"That may be. But he's a lousy husband." 

She didn't answer. They sat together quietly, staring out over the Atlantic Ocean, watching the sun set into the horizon.


	18. 18

Title: No Mercy (18/?)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. 

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

Special thanks to Jessica, Julia, Dem, CCA and Deb for all your kind feedback. :) 

Author's Note: This part is a quite a bit lighter than previous chapters. There's still a bit of angst involved, but overall, it's much lighter. Angst will be picked up again in part 19.

* * *

No Mercy (Part 18)

"You sure you wanna go through with this?" Bosco asked, glancing at Faith, who hesitated on the sidewalk that led up to the entrance of the building.

"It's tradition," Faith answered, her voice distant.

"We can always break tradition if you don't wanna be here." 

"Thanks." After a moment, she glanced over at him. "I guess I'm just nervous, that's all." 

"Nervous?" 

She nodded slightly. "That everyone's gonna stare at me the whole time." 

"Why would they--" 

"The same reason everyone's been staring at me in roll call everyday since I came back to work, Bosco," Faith said quietly without looking at him.

He wasn't sure what to say to that. 

"Faith? Bosco?"

They both turned to see Doc walking up.

"Hey," Bosco said, nodding.

"Hi, Doc," Faith said.

He smiled warmly at them. "Glad you two could make it." 

Bosco glanced at Faith. "Actually, we were just--" 

"Headed inside," she finished, meeting his gaze for a moment and giving him a small smile.

"Great. I'll walk up with you." 

Bosco followed Faith up the stairs of the firehouse. 

"I'm Superman!" Joey Dorhety shouted, running up to them with a red cape tucked into the back of his shirt.

Faith kneeled down in front of him, her eyes wide. "You are?" 

"Yep," he said, nodding.

"Do you know Spiderman?" she asked seriously.

A smile tugged at Bosco's lips. 

"Yep," Joey said, smiling. "He's my best friend." 

"Wow. That is so cool," Faith said, smiling back.

Kim smiled and walked over to them. "Hi." 

"Hey," Doc said. "Looks like we're the first ones here." 

"Alex is here, too. Somewhere." 

"I'm off to save the world!" Joey announced, turning and running off. 

Faith smiled. "He's a great kid," she said softly to Kim.

"Yeah, he is," Kim agreed.

"He reminds me of Charlie. He's going through a Superman phase, too..." her voice trailed off. 

"You guys want something to drink?" Kim offered.

"A soda would be great," Bosco told her, glancing at Faith.

"I'm good," Faith responded. Her voice had that distant tone to it again as her eyes followed Joey running around the room.

Doc headed toward the kitchen. "I'll make some egg nog." 

"I was hoping you'd volunteer for that job," Kim said with a grin as she followed him into the kitchen.

Bosco watched Faith watching Joey and an idea suddenly occurred to him. "Hey, I'll be back in a little while, okay?" 

Faith turned to look at him. "Where are you going?" 

"I just remembered an errand I have to run. I won't be long," he promised, zipping up his coat.

"Okay." She looked confused but didn't ask anymore questions.

Bosco gave her a reassuring smile and headed down the stairs, passing Jimmy on the way.

"You leaving?" 

"I'll be back," he told him without stopping. He took a deep breath of the cold December air and walked out to his car and unlocked the door. Casting a glance to the upper window of the firestation, Bosco crossed his fingers that his plan would work and that he could give Faith a Christmas gift she would never forget.

* * *

"Daddy!" Joey said excitedly as he rushed over to Jimmy and gave him a big hug. 

"Hey!" Jimmy hugged him back tightly. "How are you doing, kiddo?" 

"I'm great! Look what Mom made me!" he said, spinning around to show Jimmy his cape. "Isn't it cool?" 

"Yeah, it's great. Your mom made that?" he asked, feeling surprised.

"Yeah. Oh, and guess what else?" 

"What?" 

"She bought me a whole bunch of Superman comic books and last night we watched the Land Before Time I and II! She made us smores and everything!"

"That's great, Champ." Jimmy ruffled his son's hair and stood up. He glanced over at Faith, who was gazing at Joey. "Hey, Faith." 

She nodded to him. "Hey." Faith turned and walked into the kitchen. 

Jimmy frowned, wondering if he'd said or done something to upset her. 

"I thought this was supposed to be a party." 

He turned and saw Sully and a very pretty woman at the top of the steps. "Hey, Sully." He smiled at the woman. "You must be the new Mrs. Sullivan?" 

She nodded and looked at her husband.

"Tatiana, this is Jimmy Dohrety. He is one of the firefighters in the 55-precinct. Jimmy, this is my wife, Tatiana." 

Jimmy shook her hand. "Nice to meet you." 

"Nice to meet you, also," Tatiana replied. 

"Where is everyone?" 

"Good question. I just got here myself. Yokas just went into the kitchen. I think that's where Kim is, too." 

Sully frowned. "Where's Bosco?" 

Jimmy shrugged. "He was leaving as I came in. Said he'd be back later." 

* * *

Bosco took a deep breath and knocked on the door. It opened a moment later and Emily Yokas peered out. Her eyes widened. "Bosco!"

"Hey, Em." 

"Emily, who is it?" he heard Fred call from within the apartment. A moment later, Fred appeared at the door. His eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?" 

Before Bosco had a chance to respond, Charlie ran up. "Bosco!" he yelled, launching himself into Bosco's arms. 

"Hey, Charlie," Bosco grinned. 

"Is my mom with you?" the boy asked him hopefully.

"Uh, no. No, she's not. But that's why I'm here. Would you and Emily like to go see her?" Bosco asked, carefully avoiding looking at Fred, despite the fact he could sense the other man glaring at him.

"Where is she?" Emily asked, frowning.

"Well, the annual 55-Department Christmas party is tonight at the firehouse. You guys wanna come with me and see your mom?" 

"Yeah!" Charlie said excitedly, his eyes brightening.

"Can we, Dad? Please?" Emily begged, her eyes pleading as she turned to look at Fred.

"I don't know..." Fred shook his head doubtfully.

"Please, Dad? I miss Mom," Charlie said, tugging on his father's hand.

Fred shot Bosco a dirty look and Bosco struggled to keep his face blank rather than smirking at his partner's husband. Soon to be ex-husband, he corrected himself silently. And good riddance.

"Come on, Dad. Please," Emily said, a hint of whine in her voice.

Fred sighed. "All right. Go get dressed. You can go with Bosco to the party." 

"Yea!" Charlie said happily, throwing his arms around Fred's stomach.

"Thanks, Dad!" Emily said, hugging him quickly before turning and running down the hall, Charlie right behind her.

Fred stared at the floor for a moment, then looked at Bosco. "If Faith wanted to see the kids so bad, why the hell didn't she come herself?" 

"Gee, Fred. I don't know. Maybe she doesn't want to see you after the nasty things you said to her." 

Fred didn't respond.

For a moment, there was silence between them.

Bosco couldn't stop himself. "You're an idiot. You know that, right?" 

"Excuse me?" 

"Do you have any idea how lucky you are?" He shook his head. "You have two great kids who love you and practically worship the ground you walk on. And you have the most amazing woman in the world as your wife, but all you can do is treat her like crap. Call her names, accuse her of cheating on you. You don't give a damn how she feels." Bosco felt his anger rising slowly to the surface. "She deserves so much better than you." 

"What? Someone like you?" Fred retorted, glaring at him.

He shook his head, disgusted. "I can't believe I ever told her she should stay with you," Bosco said, dodging the question.

"That's it, isn't it? You think she should be with you," Fred said, staring.

Bosco stared back at him without a word.

"You're delusional, Boscorelli. You're not good enough for her either!" 

"Maybe not," he conceded. "But at least I'd treat her right." 

Before Fred could say anything more, Emily and Charlie ran over. 

"You guys ready to go?" Bosco asked, forcing himself to smile for the sake of Faith's kids.

"Yeah," Emily agreed. She hugged her dad and then stepped into the hallway with Bosco. Charlie did the same.

"See you guys later," Fred told the kids. He glared at Bosco once more before he closed the door. 

Bosco looked at his best friend's children. "What do you say? Wanna go see your mom?" 

"Yeah!" Charlie grabbed his hand.

"Great. Cause she can't wait to see you two," he told them, smiling for real this time. He couldn't wait to see the look on Faith's face.

* * *

Jimmy gazed at his son across the room. Joey was talking animatedly to Faith Yokas. He smiled. His eyes traveled to the other side of the room to his ex-wife, who was also watching Joey, a smile on her face. Alex Taylor stood next to her, talking quietly.

He looked at his son again, then back at Kim.

Jimmy took a deep breath and with resolve, walked across the room to Kim. "Can we talk?" 

Kim looked at him, her arms folded across her chest.

"I'll just...go talk to Ty," Alex said quietly, not looking at him as she passed.

Jimmy stared at the floor. 

"What's up?" Kim asked, her voice tense.

"It's about Joey." 

"I figured," she remarked.

"I'm dropping the custody suit," he told her.

Kim stared at him, open-mouthed. "What?" 

He lifted his gaze to meet her eyes. "I want to go back to our joint custody arrangement." 

She was speechless for a moment. "What made you change your mind?" 

Jimmy glanced across the room to his son. "Joey needs his mother," he said simply. He looked back at her. There were tears shimmering in her eyes. "Merry Christmas, Kim." 

* * *

"Faith." 

Faith turned around to see Sully standing behind her, a pretty dark-haired woman holding onto his arm. "Hey, Sully." 

"Tatiana, this is my friend, Faith Yokas. Faith, this is my wife Tatiana." 

Tatiana smiled and held out her hand. "Hello." 

Faith returned the smile, and shook her hand, liking the woman instantly. "It's nice to finally meet you." 

"Yes, it is nice to meet you, too." 

"Where's Bosco?" Sully asked.

She shrugged slightly. "He said he had an errand to run." She frowned and looked at her watch. He'd been gone for a long time. She wondered if he was okay. Faith bit her lip.

"John, there's Ty," Tatiana said, nodding across the room to Davis.

"We should go say hi," Sully said, glancing at Faith with an apologetic smile.

She nodded and watched as they walked away. She sat down on one of the sofas and stared into space.

"Mom!" 

Faith's eyes widened and she turned to see her kids running toward her. She immediately stood up and caught them in an embrace

"We missed you so much!" Emily said, pressing her face into Faith's neck.

"Oh, I missed you both, too," she whispered, thrilled to see them, to hold them in her arms.

"Mommy, we got to ride in Bosco's mustang!" Charlie said excitedly, kissing her on the cheek.

Faith looked over to see Bosco standing a few feet away, a smile on his face. Her eyes filled with tears and she met his gaze. 'Thank you,' she mouthed.

He nodded slightly and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

She kissed Emily on the forehead and hugged her son closer to her, squeezing her eyes shut tightly and hoping that it wasn't all a dream.

* * *

After nearly an hour of conversing with everyone else, Alex finally managed to reach her boyfriend. "Hey, you." 

Davis smiled at her. "Hey, yourself." 

"I was beginning to think I'd never make it over here." 

"Me too." 

Alex glanced around the crowd. "You know, I don't think I even know half these people." 

"I think a lot of them are the day shift workers," he told her.

She nodded her agreement. "Guess what." 

"What?" 

"Jimmy dropped the custody suit for Joey." 

His eyes widened. "Seriously?"

Alex smiled. "Look how happy Kim is." 

Davis followed her gaze across the room. Kim was practically beaming. "That's great." 

She moved closer to him. "I missed you last night," she admitted quietly.

Davis smiled. "I missed you, too." 

"Look at them."

Alex broke her gaze away from Davis to look at Carlos. She turned to see where he was looking. Her eyes landed on Faith and Bosco, across the room with her kids, smiling and laughing. 

"Look at the way they keep looking at each other," Carlos said, nodding toward them.

She didn't respond.

"I've been saying it for weeks," he said smugly. "I can spot these things a mile away." Carlos grinned and walked off.

Alex and Davis looked at each other and both burst out laughing.

Davis shook his head when he recovered, his gaze still on his co-workers. "Man, Bosco's really in over his head," he remarked.

She looked at him, then at Bosco, then at Faith. "I'm not so sure he's the only one," Alex said softly.

* * *

"Hey, you want something to drink? A soda or something?" Bosco asked.

Faith glanced at him and smiled. "Yeah, a soda would be great. Thanks, Boz." 

He nodded. "Sure." He turned and headed into the kitchen, grabbed a soda from the fridge and paused in the doorway to look across the room. He watched Faith with her kids. She looked happier than he'd seen her in weeks. She should always look that happy, he thought. 

"You really made her day, you know." 

He turned his head to see Kim standing next to him, smiling. "That was the idea." 

She was quiet for a moment. "She and Fred getting divorced?" 

Bosco looked at her in surprise.

"She told me awhile back they were having problems." 

"Oh." He turned to gaze at Faith again. "Looks that way, yeah." 

"It's good that you're there for her," Kim commented.

Bosco didn't reply.

"Hey, you two." 

They both turned to see Lombardo standing there with a smirk on his face. 

"What?" Kim asked, frowning.

He pointed above them. "Look where you're standing." 

Bosco looked up and saw mistletoe hanging above him. He rolled his eyes Mistletoe was such a stupid tradition.

"Come on, it's the Christmas law," Lombardo teased.

Kim couldn't help smile. "Shut up." She looked at Bosco. "If we don't kiss, we'll never hear the end of it," she pointed out.

He rolled his eyes again, not sure what his hesitation was about. Kim was pretty. And it wasn't like they'd never kissed before. His gaze drifted involuntarily back to Faith. She was engaged in a conversation with Emily, not paying any attention to him whatsoever. He turned to look at Kim again. "Yeah, okay. Why the hell not?" 

* * *

Faith smiled at Emily, who was telling her about the math test she'd taken a couple days ago. She suddenly wondered what happened to Bosco. He'd said he'd grab her a soda awhile ago and he wasn't back yet. She glanced toward the kitchen and caught sight of him in the doorway.

With Kim.

Kissing.

All the breath left her lungs. She felt like someone had kicked her in the stomach and knocked the wind out of her. The smile left her face and she swallowed hard, unable to look away. 

"Mommy? Are you listening?" Emily asked, a hint of impatience in her tone.

Faith blinked a couple times, then forced her attention back to ther daughter, a guilty feeling settling on her shoulders. She hadn't been listening. She'd been too distracted by the sight of Bosco kissing Kim. She tucked a strand of hair behind Emily's ear. "I'm sorry, baby. What'd you say?" 

"I said Matthew punched Kevin in the nose for pushing me in the hall." 

"Did they get detentions?" 

Emily shook her head. "Three day in school suspensions." 

"Faith?" 

She looked up and saw Alex Taylor standing there. "Hey." 

"Hey." Alex looked at Emily and smiled. "You're Emily, right?" 

Emily nodded. "Yeah." 

"I'm Alex Taylor." 

"Hi." 

At that moment, Charlie ran up and grabbed his older sister's hand. "Play tag with me and Joey!" he pleaded.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay." 

Faith watched as her kids ran off.

"So how are you doing?" Alex asked casually, sitting down next to her on the sofa.

"I'm fine. It's good to see my kids." She leaned back against the couch cushions.

"I'm sure. Hey, did you hear?" 

"Hear what?" 

"Jimmy decided to drop the custody suit against Kim." 

Faith stared at her, then smiled. "That's great." 

"Yeah, it is," Alex agreed. "So. Bosco's pretty good with kids, huh?" 

She frowned. "Bosco?" 

"Yeah. I mean, your kids seem to like him a lot," she said, nodding toward Bosco.

Faith followed her gaze and swallowed hard. Bosco had picked Charlie up and was carrying him around on his shoulders. He looked over at her and grinned. She smiled back. "Yeah, they do." 

"That's good. I'm sure he and Joey will get along great." 

Faith turned to look at Alex. "Joey?" she repeated, confused.

Alex nodded. "Well, yeah. I mean, it kind of seems like he and Kim might end up together. It's probably a good thing he's so good with kids. You know, for the stepdad factor." 

Her eyes widened and she looked back over at Bosco. "I don't really think Kim is Boz's type," she said, shaking her head in disagreement, her stomach tightening.

Alex raised her eyebrows. "No?" She shrugged. "I don't know, I mean, given their past together..." 

Faith jerked her head to stare at Alex. "What past?" 

"Bosco didn't tell you?" 

She shook her head.

"Oh. Well, Kim just mentioned to me that she and Bosco hooked up once, that's all." 

Faith looked away, an unsettled feeling tugging at her heart. 

"Anyway. I should get back to Ty." Alex stood up. "I'll see you later." 

"Later," Faith echoed. Her gaze drifted over to where Bosco was now standing, laughing with her kids, as well as with Kim and Joey. Hot tears stung her eyes and she rose to her feet and quickly headed toward the bathroom.

"Faith?" She heard Bosco call her name but she ignored him and kept walking.

"Excuse me," she muttered, cutting through the crowd in the hallway. She finally made it to the bathroom and immediately closed and locked the door behind her. 

Faith walked over to the sink and quickly splashed a couple handfuls of cold water on her face. She looked at herself in the mirror. What the hell is wrong with me? she wondered. And why does the thought of Bosco and Kim together bother me so much?

* * *

Bosco frowned deeply as he glanced at his watch. Faith had disappeared down the hall and into the restroom nearly a half hour ago and hadn't returned yet. He excused himself from his conversation with Kim and Davis and Alex and headed down the hallway. He was about to knock on the restroom door when it opened suddenly.

Faith took a step back, startled. 

"Hey. I thought you might have gotten sick or something. You okay?" he asked, studying her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." 

Bosco frowned. She looked okay, didn't appear to be sick or anything. But he could sense something was wrong. He just wasn't sure what it was. "You sure?" 

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" 

He was surprised by the cold distance in her voice. "I don't know. Why don't you tell me?" 

She looked at him for a moment. "Sorry, Bosco. I'm all right. Just tired." 

He nodded carefully, not convinced. "You wanna go home?" 

Faith shook her head. "No. That's all right. Thanks." 

"Okay. If you change your mind..." His voice trailed off as he watched her walk away, down the hall and through the crowd. He sighed heavily, wishing he could read her half as well as she could him sometimes. 

* * *

"So what do you think?" Davis asked, glancing at Alex.

"Oh, yeah. It's definitely not one-sided," Alex said with a slight grin, shaking her head. "You know, it still bugs me." 

"What?" Kim asked, sipping her eggnog. 

"That Carlos was actually right about something." 

Kim giggled. "You know, if I didn't know what was going on, I'd be offended that Bosco didn't want to kiss me." 

"Now what?" Alex asked. 

Davis frowned. "What do you mean?" 

"I mean, we need a plan B." 

Kim nodded her agreement.

"Whoa, whoa. Hold up. I don't think we should be interefering here," Davis said, shaking his head.

"Oh, come on, Ty. They just need a little push in the right direction." 

"If it's supposed to happen, it'll happen on its own." 

"Well, I guess we're about to find out," Alex said, nodding toward the kitchen entrance.

* * *

Bosco took a deep breath and walked over to the kitchen entrance where Faith was leaning against the doorframe. He was determined to figure out what was wrong with her. "Hey." 

"Hey." 

They were both silent for a moment, watching Em, Charlie and Joey play freeze tag.

"So, you and Kim, huh?" Fait said, her eyes still on the kids.

Bosco turned his head to look at her. "What?" 

"I think she's nice and everything, but I didn't really think she was your type." 

"She's not," he said, confused.

"Alex seems to think there's something going on with the two of you." 

Bosco stared at her.

"Something about you and Kim hooking up once," Faith said, shrugging.

He rolled his eyes. "Not exactly what happened." 

She glanced at him.

Bosco sighed. "Remember that car wreck over a year ago? With the four kids?" 

She looked away again, a pained look on her face. "Yeah." 

"We were both really upset. We kissed. Dohrety interrupted us. That's it. I barely know her." 

"So were you really upset today, too?"

Bosco stared at her. "No. That didn't mean anything. We were under the mistletoe." He swallowed hard and looked up. "Speaking of which..." 

Faith looked up and realized where they were standing. She swallowed hard and met Bosco's gaze, her pulse quickening. "Boz..." 

He shook his head. "It's a stupid tradition." 

Her heart sank. "Yeah." She looked away again. 

Bosco cupped her cheek with one hand and leaned forward, gently pressing his lips against hers.

Her eyes drifted shut and she was overwhelmed by the gentleness of his kiss. After a couple seconds, he pulled away. Faith opened her eyes and met his gaze, startled by the intensity with which he was looking at her. 

"Merry Christmas, Faith," Bosco said quietly.

She swallowed hard. "Merry Christmas," she echoed. 


	19. 19

Title: No Mercy (19/?)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. 

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

Special thanks to Dem, CCA, Andorian Ice Princess, and Deb for all your kind feedback. :) 

* * *

No Mercy (Part 19)

It had been three months. Three months since the attack, two months since the Christmas party at the firestation and one month since Fred had sent divorce papers to her at Bosco's without even having signed them himself. 

They still hadn't caught the guy. The detectives had questioned Don Richards more than once, trying to determine who he was covering for, but to no avail. Richards wouldn't say a word. Eventually they had to release him. They had nothing to hold him on, not once she'd told them Richards wasn't the real rapist. 

Bosco kept telling her that they would find the real guy, but as much as she wanted to believe him, she was having serious doubts. Too much time had passed. The bastard had probably left the state by now. 

She'd had so many nightmares, she lost track of how many she'd had. And every time she woke up, terrified that she was back in the hands of the rapist, Bosco had been right there, assuring her she was safe. He'd stayed awake with her when she'd been too afraid to go back to sleep. They'd watched late night talk shows, the Discovery channel, even a few infomercials. And when they got sick of TV, they'd either play cards or just sit up on the couch and talk all night. 

Bosco had opened up with her more about his life than Faith had ever thought he would. He'd told her things about his childhood, about him and his brother Mikey, about his parents' marriage and his dad's abusiveness--both toward his mother and to him and Mikey. It had broken her heart to listen to some of the things he'd said, but at the same time, she was honored that he'd been able to open up to her. 

Faith shifted in the passenger seat and turned to look at Bosco, who was staring out the driver's side window. 

She never would have believed--not in a million years--that they would be as close as they were now. Sure, they'd always been friends, but now...now she couldn't picture her life without casting him as a huge part of it. They were partners, best friends, and when she was honest with herself--they were more than that. 

Her eyes drifted shut and she thought back to that kiss at Christmas time. Was it just a kiss? Just an insignificant gesture because of a holiday tradition?

Bosco had told her that his kiss with Kim hadn't meant anything because they'd been standing under the mistletoe. Did he feel the same way about the kiss the two of them had shared?

Or did it mean something else?

When she asked herself that question, her answer was always yes, but she wasn't sure exactly what it meant. She knew without a doubt that she had wanted Bosco to kiss her that day.

Faith leaned back against the seat, remembering how gently he had touched her face, how soft his lips were pressed against her own. There had been nothing demanding or insistent about the moment. It had been perfect.

Too perfect, she thought, opening her eyes and looking out the window. Too perfect because she'd been thinking about it every day since the day of the party. And she had come to one conclusion.

She wanted him to kiss her again.

Faith leaned her head against the window. It's never gonna happen, she told herself.

No way did he feel that way about her. He just hadn't wanted to hurt her feelings by refusing to kiss her under the mistletoe when he'd kissed Kim under that same guise of tradition.

She shifted in her seat again. That made the most sense, of course. Sure, he cared about her--he'd proven that over and over throughout the past three months--there was no doubt in her mind about that. But was he in love with her?

Yeah, right. Get a life, she thought. No way would someone like Bosco ever fall for someone like her. She shook her head. 

"Charlie really liked that movie, didn't he?" Bosco's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Faith blinked a few times, then turned her head to look at him. "What?" 

"Jurassic Park. I think Charlie liked it." Bosco looked at her, a grin on his face.

She couldn't help smiling back. "Yeah, he did. It was a good choice, Boz." 

His smile widened. 

Faith looked out the window again. Every week since Christmas, Bosco had gone and picked her kids up from Fred and brought them back to his place. Sometimes the four of them would play UNO or Monopoly or LIFE and sometimes they'd stay up watching movies and eating popcorn and M&M's. Last night had been a movie night and Bosco had chosen Jurassic Park since Charlie hadn't seen it.

Charlie and Emily had started out lying on the floor in front of the TV while she and Bosco sat on the sofa. Halfway through the movie, both kids wound up sitting between them on the couch.

Faith smiled at the memory.

"Maybe we could rent Godzilla next week." 

She snorted. "Yeah, that's a great idea. Watch a movie with a huge monster storming the streets of New York City. Charlie would never go to sleep again." 

Bosco chuckled. "Yeah, probably not the best idea," he agreed. 

She glanced over at him. "Thank you." 

"For what?" 

"You've been great with them. I really appreciate everything you've done. Picking them up from Fred's, letting them stay over every week. It means a lot to me." She halfway expected a smart ass comment from him in return, but wasn't too surprised when he simply nodded. 

"You're welcome. I like spending time with them. They're great kids." 

She smiled softly. "Yeah, they are." 

"Their mom's pretty cool, too." 

Faith turned her head to look at him, startled. 

He just smiled at her. "I wish my mother had been more like you," he confessed, looking away.

She reached over and squeezed his arm gently. "Hey. She must have done an okay job. You turned out pretty great." 

Bosco looked back at her. This time he was the one who appeared startled. Then he grinned. "Yeah, I did, didn't I?" 

She swatted him in the arm lightly and he laughed. She shook her head and laughed with him.

"55-Charlie to 55-David," Sully's voice crackled over the radio.

"55-David," Bosco responded, pressing the button on his radio, still grinning.

"We're getting ready to take our dinner break. Wanna meet us somewhere?" 

Bosco glanced at her. "Interested?" 

"Sure." 

"Roger that, 55-Charlie. Where are you going?" 

"Sunrise Cafe," Sully responded.

"Sounds good. We'll radio in a dinner request and meet you there in ten minutes." 

"10-4, 55-David." 

Bosco quickly radioed in the request to Central, who approved. Then he started the engine of their squad and pulled out onto the road.

Faith stared out the passenger window, a funny feeling creeping into her stomach. She bit down on her lip, confused by the sudden worry that tugged at her.

"Faith? You okay?" 

"Yeah..." 

"You got real quiet all of a sudden. You sure?" Bosco asked, glancing at her sideways.

She nodded. What was she supposed to say? 'No, I think something's about to happen?' He'd think she'd gone nuts.

Bosco parked the car in the parking lot of the Sunrise Cafe and glanced around. "Guess they're not here yet." 

"Guess not," she murmured, her gaze scanning the lot.

"Let's go inside and wait." 

Faith nodded and opened the door, climbing out slowly. She followed Bosco into the crowded resturaunt. 

"Man, this place is packed tonight," he remarked, gesturing toward the "Please Wait to be Seated" sign by the door she never recalled seeing there before. 

"Yeah." She shivered slightly.

"I'll be right back. I need to use the restroom," Bosco told her. 

"Okay." She barely heard him. 

He turned and headed off down the hallway.

She glanced around the cafe, scanning the faces of the other customers, though she wasn't sure why she was doing it. 

"She was fucking hot!"

"Did you screw her?" 

Faith's attention was pulled to a couple of guys a little ahead of her in the line. 

"Hell, yeah." 

"Good for you." 

Her eyes settled on the second man who had spoken. He was faced away from her, but there was something eerily familiar about him. He spoke again. "You should have seen this bitch I did the other night." 

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and she shuddered. 

"Where'd you meet her?" 

"Bar on 34th." 

"What'd she look like?" 

"Strawberry blond hair, brown eyes. Man, she had a set of lungs on her." 

*"You'll pay for that, you bitch!" the man snarled at her, glaring down at her.

"Oh, my God," she muttered. Could it be?

The guy turned around to face her. 

Faith froze, her gaze locking on the man's green eyes. It's him, she realized, her heart pounding. 

He recognized her at the same instant. He started to move toward her.

She couldn't even breathe, let alone jump out of the way as he shoved her backwards and took off running out the front door. 

Faith shook herself out of her paralysis, her training as an officer taking over as she turned and ran after him, out the door, down the sidewalk. She didn't think, she just ran.

* * *

Bosco returned from the bathroom and frowned when he didn't see Faith. He stepped over to the guy that had been standing behind her in line. "Did you happen to see where my partner went?" 

The guy nodded. "She just chased some guy outside," he said with a shrug.

He frowned deeply, wondering why she hadn't radioed him. "Thanks." He headed for the door, and walked outside, but didn't see her anywhere. He pressed the button on his radio. "Faith? Where are you?" 

He waited. There was nothing but silence for a response. A ball of dread began to form in his stomach. He turned around in a full circle in the middle of the sidewalk, trying to guess what direction she had gone. He tried the radio again. "Faith! Where are you?" 

A second later, he heard her voice through the static. "I'm on a foot pursuit on Front Street, headed toward Grand!" She sounded out of breath. Or upset. He wasn't sure which. The next words out of her mouth sealed his fear. "Bosco, it's him!" 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw 55-Charlie pull into the parking lot, but he didn't bother to wait. He tore off down the sidewalk, running as fast as he could toward Grand. 

"55-David, this is 55-Charlie. What the hell is going on?" Sully's voice demanded. 

Bosco didn't even slow down as he spoke into his radio. "55-David in pursuit of the rapist!" 

* * *

Sully's eyes widened and he looked at Davis. "Let's go." He climbed back into the driver's seat he'd vacated only seconds ago, his partner sliding into the passenger seat next to him. He flipped on the lights and sirens, the tires squealing as he floored the gas pedal.

"Where are you, 55-David?" Davis asked tensely. 

"Running toward Grand!" Bosco's voice shouted.

"I didn't even see him chasing anyone," Davis said, frowning.

"Bosco, where the hell is Yokas? Why isn't her radio on our channel?" Sully demanded, pressing the button on his radio.

"She's ahead of me somewhere!" Bosco didn't respond to his second question.

"Son of a bitch," he muttered, gripping the wheel a little tighter. 

* * *

Faith was several yards behind the guy, but she could still see him. Not bothering to even try and catch her breath, she pushed herself to run faster, ignoring the ache in her side. 

"Faith, where are you now?" Bosco's frantic voice shouted. 

"Just crossed Grand, headed North on Main!" she shouted back, trying to avoid running into any civillians on the sidewalk. 

"Wait for me! Sully and Davis are on their way!" he said, his voice crackling from the static.

She ignored his request. If she stopped to wait, they'd never catch the guy. She watched as he turned down an alley to the right and she quickly did the same. She could hear the wail of sirens in the distance. 

Faith ran harder, trying to keep the bastard in her sight. "Bosco, I just turned down an alley off Main, headed East," she called. 

"Dammit, Faith, wait for back-up!" he shouted. 

She kept running. Eventually the bastard would have to stop, or at least slow down. No way in hell was he going to get away when she was this close to catching him. No way in hell. 

* * *

Bosco turned down the alley she'd said she turned down and ran as fast as he could, knowing she wasn't about to stop and wait for him, or for anyone else. 

"Dammit," he said under his breath as he reached the end of the alley. The guy was nowhere in sight, and neither was his partner. 

"Bosco, where the hell did you go?" Davis asked over the radio.

"22nd Street," he said, looking around, trying to catch his breath. "Faith, where are you?" he demanded. 

"Headed toward 23rd and Franklin!" 

"Shit!" He radioed the information to Sully and Davis as he started running again. 

* * *

Faith lost sight of him as he ran down the steps of an underground parking garage. She followed, her hand on her weapon. She made it halfway down the steps before pausing, looking around, her heart pounding double-time. The lighting was dim and she didn't see the guy anywhere, nor did she hear any movement. 

"Faith, where are you?" Bosco's voice floated over her radio again. 

She pressed the button, trying to catch her breath. "I'm--" She looked up and saw him standing right in front of her. Her eyes widened. 

He grabbed her and threw her the rest of the way down the stairs. 

She hit the concrete hard, all the air knocked out of her. 

"Faith! What the hell is going on?" 

She stared up at the rapist who was towering over her. 

"I should have killed you that night," he said darkly, his green eyes glaring down at her. 

* * *

Bosco stood at the corner of 23rd and Franklin, trying not to panic. He tried the radio again. "Faith! Where are you? What the hell is going on?" 

There was nothing but silence. 

"Fuck! Son of a bitch!" he said angrily, looking around. 

"Bosco, where are you? Where's Yokas?" Sully demanded through the radio. 

"I don't know! I can't reach her by radio!" he said, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

Just then a gunshot ran out through the air. 

Bosco whirled toward the parking garage on the other side of the street. "55-David! We have shots fired from the parking garage on 23rd and Franklin!" He darted out into the road, not bothering to wait for the traffic to slow down or stop. 

Let her be okay, he prayed silently. 

He practically flew down the stairs and saw Faith leaned against the wall of the building, her gun held tightly in both hands, pointed at a man lying on the ground, holding his shoulder with one hand. 

He rushed over to her. "Are you all right?" he asked anxiously. 

Faith nodded, panting for breath, her face pale. Her hands were shaking as she stared down at the man she'd shot. 

Bosco turned around slowly, rage building within him. He narrowed his eyes as he glared at the man who had raped his partner. "You son of a bitch," he said, his hands curling into fists. 

The guy looked up at him, his eyes cold, devoid of any emotion, a smile on his face. 

"You think this is funny?" he demanded, moving closer to the man. "Huh?" 

The guy didn't respond; he continued to smile. 

Bosco reached down and yanked him to his feet roughly, hatred in his eyes. "Not such a big man now, are you, you prick?" He shoved the guy backward, pushing him on his injured shoulder. 

The guy glared at him for a second, then looked past him to Faith. "You were a great fuck," he said, smirking.

Bosco punched him in the face, his knuckles shattering the guy's nose. 

The rapist fell onto the ground, blood covering his face, dripping down onto his shirt. 

Bosco kicked him in the side. "How about some broken ribs? Would you like that?" he demanded, kicking him again, harder this time. 

"Bosco! Yokas!" Sully and Davis ran down the steps. "You two okay?" Sully looked from Bosco to Faith and then went to her side. "You okay?" 

She nodded wordlessly.

The bastard started to laugh. 

Bosco stopped kicking him. "What the fuck is so funny?" 

The rapist just shook his head. "You can arrest me, but I'll get off. The detectives think my brother did it." 

Davis stared at him. "Richards is your brother?" 

He smiled, wiping blood off his face. "Same DNA. He even signed a confession. No jury in the world will convict me." His gaze traveled to Faith again and he leered at her. "I'm gonna come and find you again. We'll have ourselves a real good time," he promised, grinning.

Bosco kicked him in the stomach. "You're never gonna touch her again, you fucker! I won't let you!" 

The rapist smirked. "You can't stop me," he taunted. 

Bosco glared at him, then turned to look at Faith. She was staring at the man through her tears. He suddenly had a vivid flash of seeing her in the hospital right after the attack. Still, pale, beaten, raped. Images of her terrified face after every nightmare she'd had, of him holding her when she broke down on the bathroom floor flashed through his mind. 

He could hear Masters' voice echoing in his head. "Even if we catch the real rapist, because this guy's confessed, it's gonna be damn hard, if not impossible to convince a jury to prosecute."

He looked at Faith again, knowing the bastard was right. They could arrest him, but he'd just be free in a matter of days, if not hours. He'd be free to hurt someone else, or to come after Faith again. The rage surged up within him and he turned to face the rapist again, his eyes darkening. 

Bosco pulled his gun out of its holster. "You're wrong. I will stop you," he said, his voice low as he pointed his weapon right at the bastard. 

"Bosco," Sully said quietly, his tone one of warning. 

The smile left the man's face and he glared at Faith. "This is all your fault, you slut!" 

Bosco stepped in front of him, blocking off his view of Faith. "No, this is your own fault, you lowlife rapist bastard," he said hatefully. He cocked the gun.

"Please," the man said, staring up at him.

"I tried to plead with him...he said I wanted him to do what he was about to do to me," Faith whispered, her eyes shut tightly as she tried not to cry.

"No mercy," Bosco whispered darkly. He pulled the trigger. 

* * *

"He's dead," Carlos announced, looking up from the guy's side. 

"Good riddance," Alex muttered. 

He looked at her in surprise. 

"The guy raped God only knows how many women, including a friend of mine. He left another woman for dead after smashing her head in with a concrete statue. What, I'm supposed to feel sorry for him? I don't think so." She stood up.

Carlos did the same. "Well, I'm not gonna shed any tears over him, either." 

"They ought to give Bosco an award," Alex said, shaking her head. 

"Somehow, I don't think that's going to happen," he said, nodding across the parking lot to where Doc, Kim and a crowd of police officers were gathered. 

She followed his gaze. "How much trouble do you think he's gonna be in?" 

Carlos glanced at her, his face serious for once. "I don't know." 

* * *

"You sure you're okay, Faith?" Doc asked. "Are you in any pain?" 

Wordlessly, she shook her head, her gaze on Bosco a few feet away, standing with Sully, Davis, Sgt. Christopher and Lt. Stick. 

* * *

Bosco stared at the ground as he told the superior officers about what happened. "I heard a gunshot from the parking garage. So I ran over here to back Yokas up. When I got here, she was against the wall and the rapist was on the ground." 

"She shot him?" Stick questioned. 

"In the shoulder." 

"Then what happened?" Christopher asked, studying him.

"The bastard got mouthy. I roughed him up a bit," Bosco said honestly. "Sullivan and Davis got here about that time." 

"What I don't get," Christopher began, narrowing his eyes and staring at Bosco directly. "Is how you went from roughing up the guy to putting a bullet in his head. Can you explain that to me, Officer Boscorelli?" 

Bosco opened his mouth to speak. 

"We thought he had a gun." 

Christopher turned to look at Faith, who was now standing a couple feet away. He turned to look at Bosco again. "That true?" 

He met Faith's gaze and held it. 

"Bosco turned to ask me if I was okay and the guy reached into his coat like he was getting ready to pull a weapon. Bosco saw and shot him before he had a chance to shoot any of us." 

"We checked the guy's coat. No weapon was found," Christopher said, folding his arms across his chest. 

"He stole my gun before. We had every reason to believe he was armed," Faith said easily. 

Stick looked from her to Bosco, then to Sully and Davis. "Is that what happened?" 

"Absolutely," Sully said without flinching. 

"That's how I saw it," Davis confirmed, not hesitating. 

Stick and Christopher both looked at Bosco. "Officer Boscorelli?" Stick pressed. 

Bosco met Faith's eyes again. Then he nodded slowly. "That's exactly what happened," he answered. 


	20. 20

Title: No Mercy (20/21)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. 

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

Special thanks to Dem, CCA, Andorian Ice Princess, Julia and everyone else who's sent me feedback. You guys are awesome. :)

* * *

No Mercy (Part 20)

"Thanks for coming with me. He's not supposed to be here, but I really don't want to talk to him if he is," Faith said, using her key to unlock the door to what had once been her and Fred's apartment. 

"No problem," Bosco replied, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he waited for her to open the door. 

She took a deep breath, opened it and stepped inside. He followed her, flipping on the light by the entrance. 

Faith gripped onto the empty box in her hand and glanced around the living room, swallowing hard as her gaze dropped to the new carpet Fred had had laid. "You can't even tell something happened here." Her voice was quiet, distant to even her own ears.

"I'll never forget it," he replied, swallowing hard. 

She turned to see him staring at the spot where the blood stain had been. "Neither will I." 

He looked up and met her eyes, but remained silent. 

"It'll always be with me. Every day. I'll never forget. But I'm not going to let it control me, either. I won't give him that power over me. I will get past this," she said with resolve. 

Bosco nodded slowly. "I know you will." 

Faith turned and walked into the kitchen, setting the box on the counter. She reached up and pulled down several coffee cups from the cabinets and then began wrapping them in newspaper. She took a deep breath. "I never thanked you. For what you did for me." She paused in her task and glanced at him. 

"You don't have to," Bosco told her. "I wanted to kill him. I've never hated somebody that much in my life. After what he did to all those women...after what he did to you..." He shook his head. "He deserved what he got. I don't feel guilty for it." He looked away. "Besides that, I told you I'd never let the son of a bitch anywhere near you again and I meant it." He met her eyes, looking back at her intensely. 

Faith held his gaze and nodded, unable to respond. She went back to wrapping mugs. 

There was long silence between them.

She heard him take a deep breath and she glanced at him. "Bosco?" 

"You know how you were talking about looking for an apartment?" he asked, not looking at her. 

"Yeah." 

"You, uh...you don't have to do that. You can stay with me." 

Faith paused, then smiled a tiny smile. "I think I've been cramping your style long enough, Boz. But thanks. That means a lot to me." Her heart ached. The truth was, she dreaded moving out of his apartment. She'd gotten so used to him being there all the time, being able to talk to him whenever she wanted. She was used to him being there when she woke up from a nightmare, used to the feel of his arms around her, making her feel safe and cared for. And then there was that other thing...that feeling that she had every time she even thought about him lately though she refused to put a name to the feeling because that would mean acknowleding its existence and along with that came acknowledging the fact that no way on earth did he feel the same way and that hurt too much to think about. 

"You're not. I really wouldn't mind if you stayed." 

"Bosco..." She shook her head. 

"Aren't you gonna miss having me around all the time?" he asked, a grin on his face. But she could sense that he really wanted her to answer, could see the hope in his eyes. She wondered why this was so important to him.

Doesn't he want his life back? she wondered, feeling confused. 

"Yeah, of course I am," she said honestly.

"So then stay." 

"Bosco--" 

"Or we could find another place. Together, with room enough for the kids when it's your time to have them," Bosco blurted out. 

Faith stared at him. "You mean, you want us to be roommates?" she asked, surprised. 

"Yeah. No. Sort of." He sounded frustrated. 

She set down the mug she was wrapping and looked at him, even more confused than before. 

Bosco raked a hand through his hair and began to pace the kitchen floor. 

What the hell is wrong with him? she wondered, frowning. Does he really want me to stay that badly?

Faith suddenly realized what this was about. "Bosco, it's okay," she said softly.

He turned to look at her, startled.

"I know you feel like it's your job to protect me. And you did. I'm safe now, you don't have to worry anymore. You kept your promise." 

"That's not what..." Bosco shook his head and sighed. "I mean, yeah, of course I want to protect you. And Emily and Charlie, too. I'd do anything if it meant keeping the three of you safe all the time." 

She was touched. "I know that." 

"But that's not what this is about." 

"Then what--?" She shook her head, completely unsure of what was going on in his mind. 

He resumed pacing the floor. "I like having you there. All the time. I mean, at first, I didn't think I would--" He looked at her. "No offense." 

Faith held up her hand. "None taken." 

Bosco nodded, then continued. "I mean, I've been alone most of my life, I didn't think I'd like having someone there, but now I can't imagine someone not being there." 

She frowned. "Bosco, you're gonna find someone...you're not going to be alone for the rest of your life," she said, trying to sound reassuring though the thought of him being with someone else made her feel sick to her stomach. It was only a matter of time before it happened. Guys like Bosco didn't last long. She looked down at the floor. I need to get over it, she told herself. 

"I already have found someone, that's the thing." 

Faith froze, her heart nearly stopping. Already? It's gotta be Kim, she thought. Tears stung her eyes. 

He started pacing again. "You know, Taylor and Davis had it figured out before I did, which, by the way, really kind of pisses me off. I denied it. I didn't want it to be true. I know it's probably wrong, and maybe I'm crazy, I don't know. I just didn't want to admit it. I'm not even sure when it happened. I mean, maybe it was when you first started staying with me and we were together all the time. Or maybe it was that first night we stayed up watching TV together. Hell, maybe it was when we first met at the Academy, I don't know. The point is, it happened and...God, I suck at this." 

Bosco stopped pacing. He stared at the floor for a minute, then took a deep breath and lifted his gaze to her face. "I'm in love with you." 

Great, now I'm imagining that Bosco told me he loved me, she thought. And I didn't even hear what he really said. She blinked a couple times, trying to focus her attention on her partner who was pouring his heart out to her. "What?" 

He swallowed hard. "I'm in love with you," he said, his voice full of anxiety. "I know this isn't the best time to dump this on you after everything that's been going on. And I know that you don't feel the same way and that I don't deserve you, but I had to tell you because I don't want you to think you've inconvenienced my life in any way. I don't want you to leave, Faith. I want you to stay." 

She stared at him open-mouthed for a full thirty seconds. "You're...in love with me?" she repeated, still not convinced she'd heard him right. 

"Yes." 

She wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. A small smile tugged at her lips and she tried to hide it. 

"What?" he asked in a slightly defensive tone. 

Faith shook her head, her smile widening a bit. "No, it's just...it's funny that's all." 

"Thanks a lot," Bosco muttered. 

"No, Boz, not you...it's funny because I thought you were getting ready to tell me that you were in love with Kim." A small laugh escaped her lips. "And it's funny because all this time...ever since that Christmas party at the fire station....ever since you kissed me that day...I've been wanting you to do it again," she admitted, her laughter dissipating as she looked down, feeling uncharacteristically shy. 

"What?" His voice was full of shock. 

"I didn't think you felt that way about me. I just thought you kissed me because we were under the mistletoe and you didn't want to hurt my feelings after you'd kissed Kim." 

Bosco gazed at her. "What are you saying, Faith?" 

"I'm saying that--" Her gaze moved past him, focused on the man standing in the doorway of the kitchen. 

"Hi," Fred said quietly.

Bosco turned to look at him.

Fred stared at her. "Can I talk to you?" he asked, not even acknowledging Bosco's presence. 

"Go ahead." She stood and waited. 

"I meant alone." 

"Anything you have to say to me you can say in front of Bosco," she replied, folding her arms across her chest. 

Fred shot Bosco a glare and then moved toward her. He looked down at the floor for a moment. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I've been a jerk and....you didn't deserve that." He took a deep breath and lifted his gaze to her face. "I...uh...I haven't signed the divorce papers. I want us to try again, Faith. I think I deserve another chance." 

She stared at him. Before she even had a chance to think about responding, Bosco answered for her. 

"You're kidding, right?" he demanded, glaring at Fred. 

"This has nothing to do with you, Bosco. Butt out," he commanded, his eyes never leaving her face. 

"No, I won't butt out. If you think you can just walk back in here after everything you've done to her--" 

"I haven't done anything to her. So shut up," Fred said angrily. "This is between me and my wife." 

"I won't let you do this!" Bosco said, glaring at him.

"Yeah? What are you going to do about it?" he demanded. "You don't honestly think she'd ever actually fall for a worthless loser like you, do you?" 

"You son of--" 

"Get out." 

Fred and Bosco both turned to look at her. Fred smirked at Bosco, who looked hurt. He started to turn toward the door. 

"Not you, Bosco," Faith said, raising her eyes to look at him.

Fred looked surprised. "What?" 

"I said get out, Fred." 

Bosco stared at her. 

"You can't kick me out of my own apartment!" 

"Like hell I can't. Technically this is still my apartment, too. My name is on the lease. I'm going to finish packing my things and I don't want you here while I do that." 

"Faith, be reasonable." 

"Reasonable? Reasonable?" she repeated, her voice rising. She shook her head, angry. "You didn't honestly think you would come here and apologize and that everything would be all right between us, did you? That I'd come running back to you?" 

He opened his mouth, but she cut him off. 

"You haven't been there for me, Fred. Why the hell would I come back to you?" 

"You haven't given me a chance to be there for you!" he exploded. 

"It's been two and a half months since I told you what happened to me! And you didn't call me once to see if I was okay. Not one damned time!" 

Fred stared at her. "So that's it? I make one mistake and you're going to throw away eleven years of marriage?" 

Faith shook her head. "No. It's not just about you making a mistake. You don't know me, Fred. You don't know the first thing about me. You don't even want to. You only see what you want to see and I can't be with someone who can't even see me!" 

"I was right, wasn't I? You and Bosco are having an affair!" he accused. 

She looked at him sadly, wondering what had happened to the man she had fallen in love with so many years ago. "You just made my point for me. You don't know me at all." 

He stared at her. "You're right. I guess I don't. And I don't even want to." He turned and headed for the door. "I hope you'll be very happy together! You deserve each other!" he shouted as he slammed the front door behind him on the way out.

Faith closed her eyes for a moment, then took a deep breath. 

"You okay?" Bosco asked quietly.

She nodded. "Yeah. He just makes it that much easier for me to walk away." 

"Faith, I'm sorry." 

She looked at him. "For what?" 

"I feel like I'm kind of to blame for this whole thing with you and Fred," he said regretfully.

"Hey." 

Bosco glanced up at her. 

"It's not your fault. Fred and I don't belong together. I don't think we ever did." 

"Yeah, but--" 

"Bosco, you're not the one who ruined my marriage to Fred." 

"Neither are you." 

She paused. "I'm partially responsible, yeah. Fred may be a jerk sometimes, but I'm far from perfect myself." She shook her head again. "I could never talk to him, you know? I could never be honest about how I was feeling. I felt like I always had to hold everything together or it would all fall apart and it would be my fault." 

Bosco leaned his arms on the counter, listening. 

"I know I'm not the easiest person to live with--" 

"That's funny. We haven't had any problems," he commented. 

Faith looked at him. "No, we haven't," she admitted. "But there's a big difference between living with you and living with Fred." 

"What's that?" 

"Fred and I barely knew each other when we got involved and started living together.You and I are partners. Best friends. We already knew each other pretty well before I started staying with you. And...I know that I can depend on you." 

Bosco looked at her seriously. "Always." 

She met his gaze. "Thank you." Faith took a deep breath. "Bosco, about what you said to me before Fred showed up..." 

"I meant every word." 

"I know you did," she said softly. If he hadn't meant it, he wouldn't have said it. Of that she had no doubt. Bosco didn't throw the L word around to just anyone. He loved her. 

"What's wrong?" 

She hesitated, afraid she was going to sound stupid. "Bosco, I love you. I do." She watched a smile spread onto his face and she looked away. "But I'm not sure that...I'm ready to...be with you." 

He stared at her for a second, then a look of realization crossed his face. "Is *that* what this is about?" 

Faith swallowed hard. "I know that sex has always been really important to you with all of the other women you've dated." 

Bosco shook his head. "Faith, I would never try to pressure you into doing anything--" 

"I know that. That's not what I meant. But it's not fair to you to have to wait--" 

He moved around the counter so he was standing right in front of her. "Listen to me. This isn't about sex. This...what I feel for you...it's not like when I was with those other women. I never loved them, Faith. I love you. You're the only woman I ever want to be with." He reached up and touched her face, tilting her head up so she was looking at him. "I can wait as long as it takes. Because you're worth it." 

Faith stared at him, saw how serious he was. Without a word, she leaned forward and kissed him gently. She still wasn't totally sure how they ended up there, or what she had done to deserve him, but at that moment, it didn't matter. 

Bosco broke the kiss and gazed at her again. "We'll take this as slow as you want." 

She nodded, reaching up to touch the side of his face. "Boz?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Will you do me a favor?" 

"Anything." 

"Kiss me again," Faith said with a smile. 

His face broke into a wide grin. "You got it," he replied, leaning toward her and kissing her again on the lips. 


	21. Epilogue

Title: No Mercy (21/21)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life. 

Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape

Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave." 

Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst? 

Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster. 

Special thanks to Dem, CCA, Andorian Ice Princess, Julia and everyone else who's sent me feedback. You guys are awesome. :)

* * *

No Mercy (Epilogue)

"So what do you think?" 

Faith turned to smile at Bosco, then glanced around their new apartment. They hadn't finished unpacking yet. Boxes were still set around the room and the walls were still bare. "I think it feels like home." 

Bosco walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pressed his lips to her temple as she snuggled back against him, folding her arms over his, holding him in place. "Me too." 

It had been over a year since the attack. Faith still had nightmares, but they were rare these days. He was always right there to comfort her and make her feel safe when she did have one. She'd been talking to a counselor from the precinct once a week, and regularly attended a support group for survivors of sexual assault.

Her divorce from Fred had gone through months ago. Luckily Fred had kept his promise and he and Faith had joint custody of Emily and Charlie. 

Bosco and Faith had both been worried that when everyone found out they were together, they'd be split up as partners on the force. They hadn't been. To everyone's surprise, their being together romantically only strengthened their working relationship. They were more cautious, more aware of what was happening around them at all times. And they were definitely more protective of each other. 

They'd made love for the first time just two months ago. It had been a little scary for both of them, but they had taken things very slowly and he had let her initiate and have control over everything that happened. The words intense and incredible didn't even begin to cover it. He'd always doubted that making love to someone you were in love with was any different than having sex with some random person, but all of those doubts had been totally wiped out of his mind that night. Afterward, he lay in bed, just holding her close, stroking her hair as she fell asleep and he just watched her, listening to her breathe. He knew that night that it was time to find a bigger place to live, find a place that was their own--his and Faith's and Em and Charlie's. 

It had taken them a little over a month to find a place big enough--one with three bedrooms--that they both liked and could afford. In all honestly, he didn't care where they lived as long as it made Faith happy and they were together. 

Sometimes he still couldn't believe she loved him. Couldn't believe he could ever feel as content, as happy and as at peace as he felt when he was around her. He didn't know what he'd done to deserve her, but he was grateful to whatever higher power that had brought her into his life. 

Bosco held her a little tighter. "I love you," he said quietly.

"I love you, too," Faith answered, turning her head to look at him with a warm smile. 

He gazed into her eyes. "Marry me," he blurted out.

Her eyes widned. "What?" 

He hadn't meant for it to come out like that, but it didn't matter. He wasn't taking it back. "Marry me," he repeated. 

Faith stared at him. "Are you serious?" 

Bosco nodded. "Yeah, I am. I've been thinking about this for awhile. The kids seem to be okay with us being together. Everyone at work already knows about us. We love each other. Let's make it official." 

She held his gaze for a moment. "Okay." 

"Okay?" 

Faith smiled and touched his face. "Yes, I'll marry you." 

He kissed her briefly, then pulled away. "Let's do this the right way." 

"What are you talking about?" she asked, confused. 

Bosco reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a ring box. 

"Bosco," she whispered, stunned. 

He opened the box and took the ring out. "This...was my grandmother's ring. She uh...she gave it to my mother and Ma gave it to me a few weeks ago." He looked up and met her eyes. "I would have asked you sooner, but I didn't want to rush you." 

"You're the most amazing man I've ever met," she said, shaking her head. 

He grinned. "I am pretty incredible," he agreed, laughing when she smacked his shoulder. Then he grew serious as he took her hand. "We'll probably have to get it resized." Taking a deep breath, he slid the diamond onto her finger, surprised. "It's a perfect fit." 

Faith smiled at him with sparkling eyes. "Just like us." 

Bosco returned her smile. God, he loved her. "Yeah," he agreed. "Just like us." 

* * *

Author's Note: 

When I started writing this story, I had not planned on having any romance involved in it at all. There is nothing romantic about rape or the trauma that a survivor experiences after rape. As an SAAC member at my university (sexual assault awareness counselor), I know quite a bit about this topic. 

However. The romance in this story progressed on its own and I didn't want to fight against it because when I do that, the writing always feels stilted to me. Then I realized there was nothing wrong with the romance aspect in the first place. Survivors of sexual assault fall in love just like everyone else . If anything, the Bosco/Faith relationship in this fic, at least, I hope, is an offering of hope that is based upon the belief that a survivor of sexual violence can go on to lead a normal, happy life. 

I wish to thank everyone who took the time to read this story and send me your feedback. It was very helpful to me while I was working on this fic. 

Sincerely,

X_tremeroswellian


End file.
